An Ancient Slavic Herbal

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTVW

~A~
Angelica - Archangelica angelica
Magickal Uses: "In the event of some kind of troublesome misfortune, gather the root
with care during the descent of the lion's cub and hang it around your neck. It will drive
away cares and cause a merry heart." - Syrenius (1540 - 1611)
Medicinal Uses: In Russian, the seeds were made into a tea called "angelic water". It
was used for stomach ailments and as an antispasmodic. An infusion of the roots and
rootstocks was more often used. It taken to treat hysteria, insomnia, epilepsy, all
respiratory ailments, rheumatism and lower back pain, to eliminate runny noses and
hangovers and to expel intestinal worms. A syrup made of the roots boiled in honey or
wine was said to draw out toxins.

Arnica - Arnica Montana

Medicinal Uses: A decoction of the flowers or rootstock was used to treat stomach
problems resulting from poor digestion, including ulcers, spasms and cramps. It was also
effectively used for podagra, epilepsy, colds, influenza and bladder problems. Arnica
was also given to control uterine hemorrhaging during childbirth.
Unknown to most of the Slavic world, Arnica was mostly used in Ukraine, Belarus and the
Karpatskie Mountains.

~B~
Barberry - Berberis vulgaris
Medicinal Uses: A 16th century Russian manuscript describes Barberry's ability to cure
diseases that cause infertility in women. The Princess Xenia of Pskov supposedly used
this extract to help her conceive . A decoction of the root is also used as a remedy for
liver and gallbladder ailments including gallstones and jaundice as well as colitas and
urinary tract infections.

Barley - Hordeum vulgare

Medicinal Uses: Barley water was used to treat bladder and urinary tract disease,
kidney stones, hemorrhoids, reduce swelling and tumors and treat jaundice. A Barley malt
bath was used to treat just about any skin ailment imaginable including pimples, psoriasis
and baldness.

Basil, Sweet - Ocimum basilicum

Medicinal Uses: It's smell alone was thought to stop a runny nose. It was taken internally
to bring dreams to those having trouble sleeping and as a diuretic.

Beet - Beta vulgaris

Magical Uses: Beet leaves were wrapped around eggs and boiled to give them the red color
used to denote beauty, prosperity and as a symbol of the Sun-God.
Medicinal Uses: Honey and vinegar were added to a tea made of grated beets and used as a

gargling agent for sore throats and colds. Beet leaves were applied to the head to draw
out pain. Warm beet juice was dropped into the ear to stop buzzing and was boiled with
sage as a cold and sore-throat remedy.

Belladonna -Atropa belladonna

Magickal Uses: Found chiefly in the Carpathian region of Poland, his plant was always
associated with Witches and evil. It is hallucinogenic and listed as an ingredient in
most old flying ointment recipes, but highly toxic and very deadly.

Bellflower - Campanula trachelium

Magickal Uses: In Poland, children suffering from consumption were bathed in the herb.
If their skin darkened during the bath, it was taken as a sign that they would live. If
their skin did not darken, it meant they would die.
Medicinal Uses: The flowers were boiled in a covered pot then left to steep. The
resultant tea was used as a wash for ear problems. The roots of this plant were steeped
in strong liquor for several hours. This was then taken in small quantities for stomach
pains.

Betony - Betonica officinalis

Medical Uses: An infusion or decoction of its aerial parts was used for various lung
and bronchial conditions including asthma and tuberculosis and to improve appetite. It
is sometimes used as a nose-drop for arthritis.

Birch, white - Betula alba

Medical Uses: An infusion of fresh birch leaves may be used to treat edema, various
bladder and kidney ailments and poor circulation. It is also said to prevent the
formation of kidney stones. Birch sap is used to strengthen the immune system and as a
general tonic. It is also used for nearly all skin ailments including dandruff and to
speed hair growth. Birch tar is wonderful for skin diseases and to help wounds heal. An
infusion of birch buds is used to remove skin spots.
Folklore: The birch is considered a feminine tree and is often associated with the
rusalki and wily. The spirits of dead ancestors often take residence within the birch.
The great world tree, according to many Slavic traditions, is a white birch.

Bryony, white - Bryonia alba

Magickal Uses: It was believed that anyone who dug up this herb would destroy their own
happiness. For this reason, many folks fenced in any bryony plants they found in their
yard. For Witches, this plant was said to grow anywhere, even in pots without dirt.
Witches supposedly kept bryony hidden on their person.
Medicinal Uses: The boiled root was used to heal any wound on a horse's hoof.

Burnet Saxifrage - Pimpinella saxifrage

Medical Uses: Steeped in strong alcohol, the roots and leaves were an effective
treatment for dysentary and cholera (perhaps the two sisters in the following story?):
Magickal Uses: This plant was called "the herb which breaks" because the touch of this
plant was said to break up metal by its touch alone. To gather it, mown grass and crops
were thrown into water and the saxifrage would float to the top. This herb was
considered most powerful when gathered at Kupalo.
Folklore: (Poland) There were once three scythe wielding goddesses who dealt death and

did so quite generously. One of these sisters hurt her leg and could not keep up with the
others. No matter how much she begged for them to wait, they were too obsessed with their
blood lust to take any pity upon her and they left her in their dust. Angered by the
abandonment of her sisters, the lame death crone limped through the villages calling to
the people, "Eat and drink saxifrage and you will be safe from death!" The people
listened and the saxifrage stayed the scythes of her two sisters.
The two sisters were enraged and fell upon their lame sister in a fury. The lame sister
used her scythe to block them, and one sister fell upon it dying. In the tumult, the second
sister fell upon the other's scythe, leaving only one death, Marzana, for whom there is no
remedy.

~C~
Carraway - Carum carvi
Magickal Uses: A pan of carraway seed in boiling water was placed beneath the crib of
any child who was thought to be plagued by demons.
Medicinal Uses: Chewed carraway seeds were smeared upon the face and hands upon going
to sleep to protect one from mosquitos.

~M~
Meadowsweet - Filipendula ulmaria
Medicinal Uses: A decoction of the flowers and shredded roots was used to treat
nervous disorders such as hysteria and neurosis, hypertension and difficulties
urinating. A decoction of the flowers and leaves is used for colds and other nasal and
respiratory ailments. It was also used for ulcers, and other stomach problems and to
treat inflamation of the kidneys or liver.
Folklore: (Russia) Kudryash was the strongest and bravest knight in the village, but one
day he awoke with an awful terror of his own death. He was so afraid, he could no longer
fight. When a band of thieves began to threaten the village and the people looked toward
him for help, Kudryash became filled with shame. He wandered down to the river intent
on drowning himself when who should arise, but a beautiful water maiden who gave him a
garland of meadowsweet flowers. She told him to wear it in battle and he would not be
harmed. He later wore the garland fearlessly into battle against the thieves and easily
defeated them. Kudryash was proclaimed hero of the village and his courage was
celebrated throughout the land.

Mugwort - Artemisia vulgaris

Magickal Uses: Mugwort picked from 9 different fields was a powerful amulet against
infertility in women. Girls would stare at the Kupalo bonfire through a wreath of
mugwort to strengthen the eyes. Effective protection against evil, mugwort was often
carried or tucked into the eaves to protect a home from unclean spirits.

~P~
Purple Looststrife Magickal Uses: This plant was considered most powerful when gathered at Kupalo. One
could control demons and troublesome spirits with the root if the following words
were chanted over it before a sacred image:
Tear-weed, tear-weed
You have wept long and much but gained little.
May your tears not drown the open field
Nor your cries sound over the deep blue sea.
Frighten off the demons and the witches!
If they do not submit to you, then drown them in your tears!
If they run from your glance, throw them over cliffs or into pits!

May my words be firm and strong for hundreds of years!

~W~
Willow, White -Salix alba
Magickal Uses: The willow is a symbol of fertility. Every Egorij day, the cattle and
women are whipped with pussy willow branches to ensure their ability to bear
offspring. Afterward, the branches are thrown into the fields to ensure a good harvest.
A pussy-willow bud was eaten to guarantee health and prosperity for the coming year.
Medicinal Uses: Willow bark was used for fever, cough, headache, rheumatism, diarrhea,
pain-relief...after all...it is aspirin. A poultice of the bark was placed on puss-filled
wounds or taken internally as a tea.
Folklore: (Poland) A cruel farmer was angered by the arrival of his cat's litter.
Feeling he already had too many mouths to feed, he stuffed the kittens in a sack and
threw them into the river to drown. The distraught mother sat on the riverbank mewling
and crying for her little ones. A nearby willow tree heard her cries and took pity upon
her. The tree dipped her branches into the water and pulled the sack out, but alas, most of
the kittens had drowned. Since that time, willows everywhere burst into kittenlike bud
each spring in honor of the mother cat and her drowned children.

Wormwood - Artemisia absinthium

Magickal Uses: Wormwood was carried to protect one from the Rusalki.
Medicinal Uses: As a tea, wormwood was used to increase appetite and treat stomach
disorders. Dogs were bathed in wormwood to kill fleas and bouquets of the herb were
hung in homes and barns as an insect repellant.
Folklore: (Russia) A group of girls was returning from picking herbs in the forest when
they accidentally happened upon the rusalki. The water women asked them "What do you
have there?"
"Wormwood, yes, wormwood" they all answered except for one very young inexperienced
girl who laughed and said "not I, I picked meadowsweet!". The rusalki all fell upon her
and she was never seen again.
MORE TO COME SOON Back to the Slavic Paganism Home Page
Bibliography
Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. London: Dorling Kindersley Ltd., 1996
Knab, Sophie Hodorowicz. Polish Herbs, Flowers & Folk Medicine. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1995
Zevin, Igor Vilevich. A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing. Rochester, VT:
Healing Arts Press, 1997

Slavic Pagan Beliefs

The Slavic peoples are not a "race". Like the Romance and Germanic peoples, they are related by area and culture, not by blood.
Today there are thirteen different Slavic groups divided into three blocs, Eastern, Southern and Western. This includes the
Russians, Polish, Czechs, Ukranians, Byelorussians, Serbo-Croatians, Macedonians, Slovenians, Bulgarians, Kashubians and
Slovakians. Although the Lithuanians, Estonians and Latvians are of Baltic tribes, we are including some of their customs as they
are similar to those of their Slavic neighbors.
Slavic Runes were called "Runitsa", "Cherty y Rezy" ("Strokes and Cuts") and later, "Vlesovitsa". The
Cyrillic system ("Cyrillitsa") was created in the 9th century by Sts. Cyril and Methodius based on a
combination of the Greek alphabet and the Slavic Runes. Vlesovitsa continued to be used by the Pagans,

while Cyrillitsa was used by the Christians. During the "war" against Paganism, the Christians destroyed
each document that contained Runic instead of the Cyrillic writing, usually along with its owner. This
was done so effectively that according to most sources, the ancient Slavic peoples had no written
language at all. Therefore the nearly all records of the rituals, temples and idols/gods of the ancient
Slavs come from the very people sent to destroy them. This, along with the fact that very little
information on Slavic Mythology and Magick has been translated into English, makes studying the subject
extremely difficult.
Research must then be done through the study of folklore and folk customs. Fortunately, the medieval
Slavic peasant did not embraced Christianity on any more than a surface level. This gave rise to what the
Russians call dvoeverie (dvoh-ev-VAIR-ryeh) or "double-faith". According to one historian, Christianity so
shallowly masked the surface of the true Pagan beliefs, many a peasant did not know the name of the man
on the cross to whom he prayed.
Dualism & The Origins of Slavic Belief
The origins of Slavic belief, like that of the rest of the world's, rest in animism and ancestral worship.
The first two types of spirit were called the beregyni - female spirits that bring life and are the
forerunners of the Rusalki, and Upyr - the spirits of death who eventually became our modern Vampire
(Wampyr). From this original dualism sprang belief in all of the nature spirits, and eventually in the Rod
and Rozhenitsa, the God and Goddess who imbue the newborn child with a soul and his/her fate. Although
nearly all deities were originally ancestral, Rod and Rozhenitsa eventually pulled the Slavic mind out
of that way of thinking and opened the doorway for the later "Indo-European" way of thinking, although
the original "Old European" way of thinking kept a stronger hold on the average Slav.
Dualism permeates all of Slavic Pagan spirituality and actually seems to be the basis for most of it.
This should not be confused with the dualistic good against evil beliefs of the Christian religion which
have unfortunately seeped into the Slavic spirituality of today. It is a system of complimenting
opposites such as darkness and light, winter and summer, female and male, cold and hot more similar to the
yin/yang. The God-brothers Bialybog "white-god" and Czarnebog "black-god" who rule the light half and dark
half of the year respectively, are further illustrations of this polarity. Unfortunately, because of the
introduction of Christianity, these two gods later became confused with "God" and Satan.
Other examples of dualism are - the two Rozhinitsy, the mother and daughter fates, the spirits of midnight,
Polunocnitsa and noon, Poludnitsa - both times seen to be equally as frightening, and the Zorya - Goddesses
of dusk and dawn. The Elements
The ancient Slavs had a deep sense of reverence for the four elements. Fire and Water were seen as
sacred dualistic symbols on the horizontal or earthly plane. Earth and Sky were seen as a more vertical
system of duality. High places such as mountaintops or treetops, especially birch, linden and oak, became
sacred as meeting places the Sky father and the Earth mother. Where they met, they would join their
procreative forces, usually in a flash of lightening and clap of thunder.
The winds were seen as the grandchildren of the God, Stribog. Water was refered to in mythology as the
water of life and death and rivers were treated with respect lest they should drown you on your next
visit. There are records of human, as well as other sacrifices being made to rivers such as the Dneiper and
the Volga. Although many bodies of water had their own deities, most bodies of water were ruled by
spirits known as Rusalki or Vodanoi. Fire was personified by the god, Svarozhich and it was considered
nearly criminal to spit into a fire. Mati Syra Zemlja or Mother Moist Earth, however, seems to have been
given the greatest amount of respect.
No one was allowed to strike Mati Syra Zemlja with a hoe, until the Spring Equinox, Maslenica, as she was
considered pregnant until then. Earth was considered so sacred that oaths were sworn while holding a
piece of her, sometimes in the mouth and ancient wedding vows were taken while swallowing a small clump
of Earth or holding it on the head. The custom of asking the Earth's forgiveness before death was still
being observed far into the 20th century and when a priest could not be found it was considered
appropriate to confess sins to the Earth.
Totems
Like the native Americans, each Slavic tribe had a totem animal that the clan was usually named after. It
was considered taboo to kill or eat this animal except for specific religious rituals. Each member of the
tribe was thought to have an animal twin, and the death of that twin could cause the death of the tribe
member. The World Tree
The Slavs believed that the world tree was divided into three parts; The roots existed in the realm of the
underworld, "Nav", and were where the zaltys lived. The main section existed in the mundane world and the
uppermost branches reached into the land of the sky Gods. A magical bird was said to live in the branches.
Although the Slavs did have Viking influence, the world tree beliefs seem to come more from the native
Siberians. These Asian peoples each keep a tree, usually a linden, near their home and see it as a sort of
"telephone" to the other realms. Creation Myths
(Russian 1071 CE - the transcript of Lavrentij) - A Slavic magi was recorded as saying:
"We know how man was created: God was washing in the bathhouse and, after sweating,
he wiped himself with a towel that he threw onto the ground; then Satan entered into dispute with God as to
who should make man out of this towel; and God breathed a soul into him, therefore after death man's body
returns to the soil and his spirit to God."

A Christmas Carol from Galica explains:

When there was in the beginning no world,
Then there was neither heaven nor earth.
Everywhere was a blue sea,
And on the midst of the sea, a green plane-trees
On the plane tree three doves,
Three doves take counsel,
Take counsel as how to create the world.
"Let us plunge to the bottom of the sea.
Let us gather fine sand;
Let us scatter fine sand,
That it may become for us black earth.
Let us get golden rocks;
Let us scatter golden rocks.
Let there be for us a bright sky,
A bright sky, a shining sun,
A shining sun and bright moon,
A bright moon, a bright morning star,
A bright morning star and little starlets.
-Drahomaniv p.10
In other recorded versions of this song, there are two doves not three, two oaks instead of a plane tree or
blue stones instead of golden ones. Much later versions have God, St. Peter and St. Paul riding the doves as
the actual creators.
In the beginning, there were no earth and no people, only the primordial sea. Bielobog flew over the face
of the waters in the shape of a swan and was lonely. Longing for someone to keep him company, he noticed his
shadow, Chernobog and rejoiced.
"Let us make land" said Bielobog.
"Let us," said Chernobog, but where will we get the dirt?"
"There is dirt under the water, go down and get some," answered Bielobog, but before you can reach it, you
must say 'With Bielobog's power and mine'."
The devil dived into the water, but said "With My Power", instead of what he was instructed to say. Twice
he dived down and neither time did he reach the bottom. Finally, the third time he said "With Bielobog's
Power and Mine" and he reached the dirt. Scraping some up with his nails, he brought it to the surface but
hid a grain of dirt in his mouth in order to have his own land.
God then took the dirt from him and scattered it upon the water. The dirt became dry land and began to grow.
Of course, the land in Chernobog's mouth also began to grow and his mouth began to swell. Chernobog was
forced to spit and spit to rid himself of all the earth and where he spit, mountains were formed.
Angered that he was cheated out of his own land, he waited for Bielobog to fall asleep. As soon as the god
was sleeping peacefully, Czernobog lifted him up to throw him in the water. In each direction he went, but
the land had grown so much, he could not reach the ocean. When Bielobog awoke, Czernobog said "Look how
much the land has grown, we should bless it."
..And Bielobog said slyly, "I blessed it last night, in all four directions, when you tried to throw me in the
water."
This greatly angered Czernobog who stormed off to get away from Bielobog once and for all. In the
meantime, the earth would not stop growing. This made Bielobog very nervous as the Heavens could no longer
cover it all, so he sent an expedition to ask Czernobog how to make it stop.
Czernobog had since created a goat. When the expedition saw the great god Czernobog riding astride a goat,
they couldn't stop laughing. This angered the god and he refused to speak to them. Bielobog then created a
bee, and sent the bee to spy on Czernobog.
The bee quietly alit upon Czernobog's shoulder and waited. Soon, she heard him say to the goat "What a
stupid god! He doesn't even know that all he has to do is take a stick, make a cross to the four directions and
say 'That is enough earth'. Instead he wonders what to do."
Hearing this, the bee buzzed off in excitement. Knowing that he'd been heard, Czernobog yelled after the
bee, "Whoever sent you, Let him eat your excrement!".
The bee went directly to Bielobog and said "He said All you need to do is make a cross to the four
directions and say 'That is enough earth.' And to me he said 'let whomever sent you eat your excrement'.
So god stopped the earth from growing and than said to the bee "Then forever after, let there be no
excrement sweeter than yours."

This myth is a combination of myths from Bulgarian and Ukranian sources. Although the
versions of these myths use God and Satanail as the dual creators, Slavic scholars agree that the myth is a
later form of the original dualism of Czernobog and Bielobog. Because of this I have replaced the names.
The World Tree.
Some Slavs believed that the Earth was an Island floating in water that the sun was immersed in every evening. At the center of
this Island stood the world tree or mountain. The roots of this tree extended deep into the underworld and the branches reached
high up into the realm of the sky gods, Irij.
Nav was the underworld, realm of the dead from whence it gets its name. Weles/Wolos, the God of cattle
and wealth and Lada, Goddess of springtime were also said to reside here. This is not really surprising,
considering that most cthonic deities, such as Pluto, Saturn and Ops were also associated with wealth and
that the crops are pushed upward from inside the Earth. Also, Lada would return from the underworld in
the spring, much like Kore, Persephone and Ostara of the Teutons did.
Origin of Witchcraft - a story
Long ago, when the world was still fairly new, a young woman ventured into the woods to pick mushrooms. In no time at all, the
skies opened up upon her and narrowly escaping the rain, she ran beneath a tree, removed all of her clothing, and bundled them up
in her bag so they would not get wet. After some time, the rain stopped and the woman resumed her mushroom picking. Weles,
Horned God of the forest happened upon her, and asked her what great magick she knew in order to have kept dry during the
storm.
"If you show me the secret to your magick, I will show you how I kept dry." she said. Being somewhat easily
tempted by a pretty face, Weles proceeded to teach her all of his magickal secrets. After he was done, she
told him how she had removed her clothing and hid under a tree.
Knowing that he had been tricked, but had no one but himself to blame, Weles ran off in a rage, and thus, the
first Witch came into being.
Back to the Slavic Paganism & Witchcraft home page.

Slavic Pagan Holidays

Highlighted holidays link to images. Rituals are in the process of being written.

Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn

Winter
Koljada (Kohl-YAH-da) - The Winter Solstice.
Most agree that the word comes from the Roman word "calendae" which meant the first 10
days of any month. Some, however, believe the word is derived from the word "Kolo" or
wheel - much like the word "Yule" is an Anglo-Saxon word for wheel. The holiday's
original name may have been "Ovsen". The holiday was filled with revelry. Processions
of people masked like animals and cross-dressers roamed the village. Often they were
accompanied by a "goat"- a goat's head, either real or (usually) made and stuffed on a
stick. The person holding the "goat" would be covered by a blanket to play the part.
Sometimes a child on horseback - symbol of the reborn sun - would accompany them; the
horse was often played by two young men in horses costumes. One of the wenders would
carry a spinning solar symbol, internally lit by a candle, on a stick. Later, after
Christianity entered the scene, the spinning "sun" became a star.
This unusual group would stop and sing Koljada songs from house to house. These songs usually included
invocations to "Koljada", the god or goddess of the holiday, praises and good wishes,requests for handouts

and threats for refusal. The handouts, also called "koljada", usually took the form of little pastries or
"korovki" shaped like cows or goats. The were sometimes just in the shape of the animals head, but often
were described as having "horns and tails and everything." The korovki were traditionally baked by the old
people in the house, the grandmothers and grandfathers.
The "tricks" played by those who were not rewarded could be brutal: Garbage might be brought from all
over the village and piled in front of the offending host's gate, their gate might be torn off and thrown in the
nearest water or livestock could be led off.
In Poland one "caroller" would carry a bundle of hazel twigs and after receing koljada, would gently hit his
host/ess with a small stick loudly wishing "Na shchestia, na zdravia, na tot Noviy Reek" (happiness, health,
in the coming New Year). A small twig was left with the farmer who nailed it above his door for wealth and
protection.
Bonfires were sometimes lit and the dead ancestors asked inside to warm themselves. Mock funerals were
held where a person pretending to be dead was carried into the house amidst both laughter and wailing.
Sometimes even a real corpse was used. One young girl would be chosen and tradition made her kiss the
"corpse" on the lips. If a pretend corpse was used, the person would leap up after being kissed - a symbol of
rebirth.
Holiday foods included kut'ia, a traditional funeral food consisting of whole grains and pork. The whole
grain is a universal symbol - "the seed as the mysterious container of new life" (J A Propp p.8)
On the last day of the koljada season in Poland, all the unmarried men of the village would get together to
"wend" for oats. It was impossible to get rid of them with a scoop of oats; it took at least 7 liters. The farmer
would keep a sharp eye on his grain that night, because otherwise the carollers would steal it as part of the
evening's custom. With the money from the sold oats the men would hire musicians and organize a large
dance party in the village during the pre-Spring festival period.
If you don't give us a tart - We'll take your cow by the horns.
If you don't give us a sausage - We'll grab your pig by the head.
If you don't give us a bliny - We'll give the host a kick.
- Reeder, p.85
New Year's Day - originally on the Winter Solstice, New years was considered the most powerful time for
divination. A traditional New Year's divination was called podbljunaja (powd-blyew-NIE-ya) or "under the
plate". Details of this divinatory system may be found on the Slavic Magick page. Pork was traditionally
eaten at this time.
Return to the top of the page

Spring
Strinennia - Mar 9th. Clay images of larks were made, their heads smeared with honey and stuck with
tinsel. They were carried around the village amidst the singing of vesnjanki, invocations to Spring. Birds
were thought to bring the Spring with them upon their return. Children were given pastries shaped like birds
to toss into the air while saying "The rooks have come.". Sometimes the pastries were tied to poles in the
garden. The baking of these pastries was to ensure that the birds would return.
Oh little bee, Ardent bee!
Fly out beyond the sea.
Get out the keys, the golden keys.
Lock up winter, cold winter
Unlock summer, warm summer.
Warm summer A summer fertile in grain.
- Reeder, p 92
Maslenica (Mah-sweh-NEET-sa) "Butter woman" from the word Maslo which means butter. Originally it
was practiced at the Vernal Equinox but later was celebrated the week before lent. Maslenica (mah-swehNEET-sa), sometimes called Shrovetide, was a celebration of the returning light, a time of games and
contests, especially horse racing, fist fights, sliding and mock battles. It was a time for protection and
purification rituals and a time of gluttony, obscenity and dissolution.
At the beginning of the festivities a life-sized corn doll would be made as a personification of the holiday.
The doll would be invoked and welcomed by the name Maslenica. Sometimes a drunken peasant was

chosen, instead, to represent Maslenica. He would either be dressed in woman's clothing or in a costume
sewn all over with bells. His face would be smeared with soot and he would be seated on a wheel resting on
a pole within a sledge. Wine and pastries would surround him and as many as could would accompany him
in other sledges. Crowds would follow on foot, laughing, dancing and singing ritualsongs. Corn
"Maslenitsas" were also driven around in barrows, wagons or sleighs accompanied by crowds of celebrants.
Many customs honoring the sun were included in the festivities such as the lighting of bonfires, pushing a
wheel whose axel pole was a flaming torch about or circling the village on horseback with torches.
Farmsteads were also circled at this time, either with a religious icon or with brooms, sweeping around the
entire property three times to create a magickal circle which protected against illness and evil spirits.
Traditionally, the house and barn were cleaned and decorated and holiday foods such as bliny (pancakes),
kulich (sweet bread) and paskha (pyramid shaped cottage-cheese bread) were prepared. Special loaves were
baked and fed to the cattle to guard them from unclean spirits. Kozuli, pastries shaped like cattle, goats, etc.
were prepared and eaten to bring on the multiplication of the herds. Eggs were decorated and rolled along
the ground in order to transfer the fertility of the egg to the earth. The customary "swinging" which occured
at this time was believed to strengthen the stock and fertility of the villagers as well.
Maslenitsa was considered to be a time for purification. All salt was prepared for the coming year, as salt
was used for cleansing and curative purposes. Ritual baths to prepare for the oncoming work in the fields
were also taken before sunrise and followed with fumigation in the smoke of the juniper.
Another important part of Slavic ritual is the funeral meal. A huge feast was prepared and brought to the
cemetary where it was eaten amidst much wailing and laughter. Food was always left for the dead. In
Eastern European ritual, funeral and fertility rites are intertwined. Volos, a god of the herds, is believed by
many to be the same god as Veles, an underworld deity.
At the end of the week the Maslenitsa (if a doll was used) was taken to a field outside the village, usually
where the winter crops were planted. There it was destroyed, either by being torn apart and thrown into the
field or burned. This was the remnant of an earlier cult of a dying and resurected God, Volos perhaps, whose
death brought life to the fields. The "God" was always destroyed with laughter as such a "death" was seen to
bring life. Smaller dolls were also made for individual households which were also torn apart at the week's
end and fed to the livestock. This was believed to ensure their fertility and the customary willow branch they
were fed was thought to protect them for the entire year to come.
Our Dear Maslenica, dear, leli, dear
Came for a while, for a while, leli, for a while
We thought for seven weeks, seven weeks, leli, seven weeks
But Maslenica stayed only seven days, seven days, leli, seven days
And Maslenica deceived us, deceived us, leli, deceived us
To lent she offered a seat, offered a seat, leli, offered a seat
Bitter horseradish she put out, put out, leli, put out
And that horseradish is more bitter than xren, more bitter than xren,
leli, more bitter than xren.
(Traditional Maslenica song - Zemcovskij - xren is a form of horseradish also)
It is interesting to note that in this song, the singer laments that he is betrayed by Maslenica because she
gives up her seat to Lent and gives him bitter things (to eat). In the Slavic traditions, The periods directly
before and after Easter were filled with customs, rituals and celebrations although Easter itself came and
went without much ado. This is supposedly due to the Orthodox Priest's successful efforts to keep the day of
Easter, itself free of pagan influence.The holiday of Maslenitsa lasted a week and marked the beginning of
the Slavic Spring Festivals which continue through to the Summer Solstice, Kupalo.
Krasnaja Gorka - "beautiful" or "red" hillock - the Sunday after Easter. In Russia, a woman holding a red
egg and round loaf of bread would face East and sing a spring song which the chorus then took up.
Afterward, a doll representing Marzena, grandmother Winter, was carried to the edge of the village and
thrown out or destroyed. Xorovods, Russian circle dances, started on this day as well as were Spring game
songs; A female performer would enter the center of a circle and mime the sowing, pulling, spreading, etc..of
the flax all the way up to the spinning. She and all those in the circle would sing:
Turn out well, turn out well, my flax.
Turn out well, my white flax. *
This is a form of sympathetic magic to ensure a bountiful flax harvest.
(* - Reeder - Russian Folk lyrics)
Radunica - (Rah-doo-NEET-sa) The second Tuesday after Easter. This holiday was originally known as Nav

Dien (Day of the Dead) and was a bi-annual holiday to celebrate the ancestors. The original dates of these
two holidays were probably May eve and November eve - cross-quarter dates. Usually feasting and
celebrating occured in the cemetaries among much ritual wailing. Offerings, often of eggs, were left to the
dead.
Ascension - 40 days after Easter. This holiday may have originally fallen on May eve and been tied in with
the holiday of Nav Dien. On this day, lark pastries were again baked. After supper, all would rest a while and
then take their lark pastries into the rye fields. A prayer would be offered at each side of the field while the
larks were tossed into the air and people cried "So that my rye may grow as high". The larks were then eaten.
Village girls customarily imitated the spring bird's song. Songs were sung on opposite ends of the village
with one chorus answering the other. When finished, another song would begin in the distance and in this
fashion the songs would travel from village to village.
St. Egorij (George) Day - April 23 - George is Greek for "farmer". The first day the flocks are taken to the
fields. They were driven out using pussy willows that had been blessed on Palm Sunday. The energy of the
willow was thought to be transferred to the animal, or person, being whipped by it. According to an old
song;
The pussy willow has brought health
The pussy willow whip beats you to tears
The pussy willow does not beat in vain.
People walk around the fields singing invocations to Egorij begging him to protect the flock from wild
animals in the fields and beyond them. These invocations probably originated as prayers to the god Weles,
ruler of horned animals, wealth and the underworld. After the flocks left, the entire village would gather
together for one solemn moment. Some of the pussy willows were then stuck in the rye fields to give them
strength, others were brought home to ensure the flock's return.
St. Egorij is a holiday predominated by men. One ritual for this day consisted of the old village men going
down to the river and gathering a stone for every animal in their family's flock. They would then put them in
a bag and hang the bag in the courtyard saying
Tsar of the fields, Tsarina of the fields,
Tsar of the forest, Tsarina of the forest,
Tsar of the water, Tsarina of the water,
Protect my flocks, from the evil eye,
From wicked people, from wild beasts,
And from all others.
On the eve of this holiday, young boys and men do a form of trick-or-treating by singing from house to
house for food and bestowing blessings upon those who are generous and curses upon those who are not.
This door-to-door singing was called "The Labor of St. George."
Cows, give birth to calves. Pigs, give birth to sucklings.
Roosters, stamp your feet. Hens, hatch chickens.
Hostes be good to us. Host, don't be stingy.
If the host and hostess were generous, the singers would usually wish for the hosts and for themselves 200
cows and 150 bulls each. If the host was stingy, he might hear:
Neither a farm, nor a courtyard
Not any chicken feathers
May God grant you cockroaches and bedbugs
Rusal'naia Week - (Roo-sahl-NIE-ya) originally just after May eve, this holiday was later celebrated on the
7th or 8th week after Easter. The holiday was possibly named after the Roman holiday Rosalia. During this
week the Rusalki, female water spirits, were said to leave the rivers and go to the forests and fields. Birches
were considered a source of vegetative power and homes were decorated with birch branches, both inside
and out.
On the Wednesday of this week, girls would go into the forests and choose and mark the birches. The
following day, Semik, bringing fried eggs (omelettes) & beer, they would decorate the chosen trees with
flowers. One special birch would be chosed and "curled". That is, the ends of the twigs would be knotted and
twisted to form wreaths. The fried eggs would be placed around it while Semickajas (songs sung only at
Semik) were sung. Then the kumit'sja ceremony would be held: The girls would kiss each other through
wreaths on the birch tree and swear an oath of friendship. This spell was believed to ensure that they would
be friends for life or, "kumas".

This tree was sometimes left in the forest, and sometimes cut down and brought into the village. No males
were allowed to touch the tree. The tree might be dressed in woman's clothing and/or stripped of its lower
branches. Sometimes this tree was set up in a home as a guest. If left in the forest, its tip might be bent down
and tied to the grass, ensuring that its sacred energy would return to the earth. Girls would sing and dance
the xorovod around the tree.
Banishings of the Rusalki were performed during Rusal'naia. Dolls of them were made and ritually torn
apart in the grain fields.
On the Sunday of this week, girls would perform memorial rites on the graves of their parents and afterward
divide eggs among their family members. Then the sacred birch tree was removed from the village and
tossed into a local river or stream. Girls would take wreaths from their heads and toss them in after the birch.
If their wreath floated off, love was to come from the direction the wreath floated toward. If the wreath sunk,
the girl was supposed to die within the following year. If it circled, misfortune would come.
I, a young girl, am going to the quiet meadow, the quiet meadow.
To the quiet meadow, to a little birch.
I, a young girl, will pick a blue cornflower,
A little blue cornflower, a cornflower.
I, a young girl, will weave a wreath.
I, a young girl, will go to the river.
I will throw the wreath down the river.
I will think about my sweetheart
My wreath is drowning, drowning.
My heart is aching, aching.
My wreath will drown.
My sweetheart will abandon me.
- Reeder, p.101
Semik - (Seh-MEEK) the Thursday of Rusal'naia Week. This was the day to perform funerals for all those
who had not yet been properly buried.
Semik songs (Semikjas):
While selecting the birch:
Don't rejoice oak trees. Don't rejoice green ones.
Not to you are the girls coming. Not to you, the pretty ones.
Not to you are they bringing pies, pastries, omelettes.
Yo, Yo Semik and Trinity!
Rejoice birches! Rejoice green ones!
To you the girls are coming!
To you they are bringing pies, pastries, omelettes.
Yo, yo Semik and Trininty.
While curling the birch:
Oh birch, so curly, curly and young,
Under you, little birch, no poppy is blooming.
Under you, little birch, no fire is burning No poppy is blooming Pretty maids are dancing a xorovod,
about you little birch, they are singing songs.
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Summer
Kupalo - (Coo-PAH-loh) - the Celebration of the summer solstice. Kupalo comes from the verb kupati
which means "to bathe" and mass baths were taken on the morning of this holiday. On this holiday, the sun
supposedly bathed by dipping into the waters at the horizon. This imbued all water with his power and

therefore, those who bathed on this day would absorb some of that power.
Fire was sacred to the ancient Slavs and fires were never allowed to go out. In the sanctuaries, fires were
tended by the priests and in the home, guarded by the mother. On the eve of Kupalo, however, all fires were
extinquished and rekindled with "new fire". New fire was created by friction. A peg was rotated within a
hole in a block of wood made especially for this purpose. In some areas, animals were sacrificed on Kupalo's
eve and a feast prepared of them entirely by men was shared as a communal meal. Bonfires were lit and
couples jumped over them. It was considered a good omen and prediction of marriage if a young couple
could jump the flame without letting go of each other's hand. Cattle was chased through the fires in order to
ensure their fertility.
At the beginning of the celebration, a straw image of "Kupalo" was made of straw, dressed like a woman and
placed under a sacred tree. At the end of the festival, the effigy was ritually destroyed by burning,
"drowning" or being ripped apart. Afterward, elaborate mock funerals were held. Two people pretending to
be a priest and deacon would cense the figure, with a mixture of dung and old shoes burning over coals in a
clay pot. The funeral was carried out among much wailing and laughter.
Kupalo was considered the most powerful time to gather both magical and medicinal plants. It was
considered the only time to gather the magical fire-fern. On Kupalo's eve, the flower of the fern was said to
climb up the plant and burst into bloom. Anyone who obtained it would gain magical powers including the
ability to find treasures. To gather the herb, one must draw a magic circle around the plant and ignore the
taunts of the demons who would try to frighten them off. Kupalo marked the end of the "Spring festival"
period which started in the beginning of March.
Perun's Day - July 20th. On this day a human sacrifice was chosen by ballot. There is record of a viking's
son being chosen and the viking refusing to give him up. Both father and son were killed as a result. This
day was considered a "Terrible" holiday. The sacrifice was seen as necessary to placate the God and keep
him from destroying the crops with late summer storms. According to Dr. Buhler in De Diis Samogitarum,
the prayer uttered by the officiating priest went as follows:
Perkons! Father! Thy children lead this faultless victim to thy altar. Bestow, O Father, they blessing on the
plough and on the corn. May golden straw with great well-filled ears rise abundantly as rushes. Drive away
all black haily clouds to the great moors, forests, and large deserts, where they will not frighten mankind;
and give sunshine and rain, gentle falling rain, in order that the crops may thrive!"
A bull was also sacrificed and it was eaten as a communal meal.

Autumn
St. Ilia's Day - August 2nd. In the Ukraine, this day marked the beginning of autumn. It was said "Until
dinner, it's summer. After dinner, it's autumn." Ilia is closely related to Perun and this was most probably one
of Perun's holy days. After this day, no swimming was allowed as Ilia will curse anyone he finds swimming
after his feast day.
Harvest - Harvest Holidays occured anywhere from Aug 2 to the autumn equinox and lasted from 4 days to
a week. Various rituals center around the reaping and threshing of the sheaths.The Harvest Holidays of the
Slavs were far more practical than ritual. The songs sung at this time are almost completely concerned with
the work at hand or praises for the host and hostess or the one who brought the cup. Work parties called
tolo'ka or pomoi' were formed and these travelled from farm to farm until all the work was done. The host
was obligated to provide the day's food and entertainment.
Yablochnyi/Medovoy Spas - or "Apple/Honey Saviour. This is a crossquarter holiday between the summer
solstice and the fall equinox. It celebrates the wealth of the
harvest when fruit and honey are ready to be gathered. The first fruits and honey picked
on this day and the bee hives were blessed.
Zaziuki - on or around Aug 7, might be the same holiday as Spas. Particular attention was paid to the first
sheaf (zazhinochnyi or zazhinnyi) which was usually brought into the house and threshed separately.
Sometimes it was blessed and then mixed back in with the seed. The end of the harvest celebration was
called Dozinki. The last sheaf (the dozhinochnyi orotzhinnyi) was also brought in the house where it was
either decorated with flowers and ribbons or dressed in woman's clothing. It was then placed in the entrance
corner of the home or near any religious icons until Oct 1, when it was fed to the cattle. Sometimes the last

sheaf ceremony was merged with the ritual surrounding a small patch of field that was left uncut. The spirit
of the harvest was said to precede the reapers and hide in the uncut grain. This small patch was referred to as
the "beard" of Volos, the God of animals and wealth. The uncut sheaves of wheat in "Volos' beard" were
decorated with ribbons and the heads were bent toward the ground in a ritual called "The curling ofthe
beard". This was believed to send the spirit of the harvest back to the Earth. Salt and bread, traditional
symbols of hospitality were left as offerings to Volos' beard.
Mokosh Day - Mokosh was honored on the Friday between Oct 25 and Nov 1. She was given offerings of
vegetables. One reference fixes this date on Oct 28.
back to the Slavic Paganism & Witchcraft home page

Slavic Gods & Goddesses

Magic permeated every aspect of our ancestor's lives. The fields, forests, barn, bath and hearth were all
ruled by spectral beings, sometimes good, sometimes horrible. Each flame and river was a goddess or god,
each flower and stone a sentient being. The spirits of the dead too, filled the Slavic world. Life-draining
wampyr, trees housing the souls of the departed, fairy-folk and ancestral spirits were an integral part of life,
demanding respect and often, sacrifice. The Pagan Slav spent his entire existence tightly wrapped in a dark
cloak of magic, mystery, and sometimes, terror. The spirits, after all, are always watching.
This page is a doorway to those ancient times. Do you really wish to pass through?:
Temple of Swiantowid from the archives of Gavin Bone, Janet & Stewart Farrar

Minor Deities
Greater Pantheon
Baltic Deities
This page is far from complete as only one or two descriptions are being added at a time. With such a rich
collection of Deities and Spirits in the Slavic tradition, this page should soon grow to a
disproportionately large size. Highlighted entries link to images and stories.

Fairies, Spirits and Minor Deities

Bannik Bereginy Bolotnyi Dogoda Domawiczka Domovoi Dvorovoi Eretik Kikimora Kurinyi Bog
Leszi Lesovikha Lugovik Musail Ovinnik Polewik Poludnica Polunocnica Poluvirica Rarog Rusalka
Treasurer Vodonoi Wampyr Wila Zaltys
Bannik (BAHN-neek)
Bath house spirit. Slavic bathhouses were like saunas with an inner steaming room and an
outer room for changing. They were dark and frightening and like many scary places, were
considered perfect for divinations.They were also the place most often used for
child-bearing. No newborn was left there long, though, lest the fairies whould steal
him. No Christian icons were allowed in the bath house, neither, as they may offend the
it's true occupant - the Bannik. It was customary in some places to offer every third
firing of the sauna, or sometimes the fourth to the Bannik. One did not want to disturb
him while bathing, though, or he might just throw hot water on them. Other times he would
use his sharp claws to flay his victim alive. Besides a firing of the sauna, he liked
offerings of soap, fir branches, and a water. The Bannik usually takes on the appearance
of a member or friend of the family; so if you ever see someone you know in the
bathroom, and find out later that they weren't there.......
Bereginy - Bginki in Polish (boo-GIN-kee)
Traditionally "covens" of old women performed the rituals and sacrifices for these
river bank nymphs. Bginki means "little Goddess". They were said to steal human babies
and leave behind changelings called Odmience in Polish, Oborotni in Russian.

These spirits were the original spirits of life and predate the sky deities. They are the forerunners of the
Rusalki.
Bolotnyi - Bagnica in Polish (bahg-NEETS-ah)
from "boloto" or "bagnu" - swamp. Female bog spirit
Dogoda (doh-GOH-da)
The gentle West wind.
Domawiczka (Doh-mah-VEETCH-kah)
female Domovoi or wife of the Domovoi. May be the same as the Kikimora. There are very
few reports on this spirit, but they usually involve her rewarding anyone who bathes or
finds her baby.
Domovoi - Domowije in Polish (doh-moh-VEE-yeh)
Male house spirits from "domu" -home. The Domovik usually lives in the attic, behind the
stove, under the threshhold or in the stables or cattle barn. He is thought to be
responsible for all domestic prosperity and tranquility and finish chores when family
members forget. He will howl and moan to warn of approaching trouble, and pull hair to
warn a woman in danger of abuse from a man. He can be heard laughing if good times are
ahead, and if you hear him strumming a comb, there is a wedding in the future. The Domovoi
should be fed nightly or he may cause trouble, much like a poltiergeist. Usually, if
neglected, he will simply leave. To attract a domovoi, put on your finest clothing, go
outside and say "Dedushka Dobrokhot (grandfather well-wisher), come live with us and
tend the flocks."
Special care was taken to only obtain pets and farm animals in the Domovoi's favorite color. Each new horse
was introduced formally to the Domovoi for the spirit took especially good care of the animals he liked but
tormented the ones he didn't.
When a new house was built, the owner would put a piece of bread down before the stove went in, to attract
the domovoi. When a person moved, the coals from the stove were taken with them and the formal invitation
"Domovoi, Domovoi, don't stay here. Come with our family" was recited to ensure that the Domovoi came
along to the new home. Salted bread, wrapped in a white cloth will appease the domovoi as will putting
clean white linen in his favorite room - an invitation to eat with the family. You can also hang your old shoes
in the yard to brighten the Domovik's mood. The domovik usually resembles a male head of household,
living or dead. This supports the belief that the Domovik is a remnant from the times of ancestral worship.
He can be seen if you view him through a harrow or horse collar. Otherwise, if he shows himself, it is
usually to warn of death. He, like the Banshee, can be heard weeping when death approaches a member of
the household.
Dvorovoi - Russian
Male yard spirits from "dvor" - yard. Like the domovoi, he usually resembles the male
head of household and has preferences as to the color of pets and livestock. He is
usually malicious and sometimes, but not often, deadly. He is appeased by placing a shiny
object, slice of bread and piece of sheep's wool in the stables while saying "Master
Dvorovik, I offer you this gift in gratitude. Please look after the cattle and feed
them well." If he is completely out of control he is punished in the following way: The
head of household wove a three-tailed whip from a corpse's shroud, dipped it in wax,
ingnited it and whipped all corners of the cattle shed and manger, hoping to beat the
spirit into submission.
Eretik - (EH-reh-teek), erestun, eretica, eretnik.
"heretic" This later term for the upyr is due to the belief that heretics returned from
the dead as evil spirits. This belief was considered responsible for the brutality and
hysteria surrounding the medieval Russian campaign against heretics. The eretik usually
returns from the grave to devour people, the eretsun is usually a living vampire created when the soul of a
sorceror possesses and revives the body of one on the brink of death. The eretica usually causes one to
wither by the power of her eye. The eyes of the dead, in Slavic belief, could lure one into the grave. That is
why it was so important to close the eyes of the newly deceased.
Kikimora(kee-kee-MOHR-ah) or Shishimora
female house spirit who usually lives in the cellar or behind the stove. She comes out at

night to spin and will look after the housework and the chickens if the home is well
tended. If the household is a sloppy one she will wine, whistle and tickle the children
at night. She is sometimes married to the domovik. To appease an angry Kikimora, you should
wash all your pots and pans in a fern tea. She appears as an average woman with hair down
(Slavic women always kept their heads covered) or sometimes with chicken feet. She
would occasionally appear, spinning, to one about to die.
Kurinyi bog(kur-EEN-yee book)
"Chicken God". Usually a round fieldstone with a hole in the middle in the chicken yard.
This "deity" was supposed to protect chickens from the domovoi, kikimora and dvorovoi.
Leszi, Leshii (LESH-ee)
"Forest lord". From "les" - forest. He often appeared as a peasant, either without a belt
or with shoes on the wrong feet. Sometimes he was said to have wings and a tail and be
covered in black hair. Many assigned him goat's hooves and horns like Pan. He is usually
attributed with green eyes. He could change his size from that of a blade of grass to that
of the highest tree. Usually he carried a club to show his rulership over the forest
creatures. The Leszi could take the shape of a familiar person and lead you astray with
the sound of their voice. Once in his domain, he might tickle his victim to death. He could
also become a hare, wolf, bear, raven, pig, horse, rooster, flaming fir tree or even a
mushroom. The Leshi is fond of trees and is said to be heard weeping when one is cut down.
He is the protector of the forest and all it's creatures. His favorite animal is the
wolf - the king of the beasts in Slavic folklore. He is also said to be often seen in the
company of bears.
Upon entering a forest, one always uttered a protective spell or prayer lest they run into him. If he got hold
of a child, he might replace it with one of his own - who would grow up stupid, with a voracious appetite. If
the child returned it would ever afterward be a useless tramp. When the Leshii got his hands on an adult, the
adult would return sometimes mute and covered with moss, othertimes unable to concentrate and would act
oddly for the rest of their lives.
The Leshii likes offerings of kasha, suet, blini, bread & salt. He is also perfectly happy with a cookie or
candy left on a stump or log. To protect yourself against the leshii, you can: turn all your clothing backward
and also the collar on your horse, chant "Sheep's mug, sheep's wool" or if you encounter him, get him to
laugh. When the leshy could be coaxed to befriend a human, the human often had to make a pact, never
again wear a cross or take the eucharist. In return, the Leshy would teach the human the secrets of magic. He
is, after all, the Green Man.
In myth and art, the Leshy is often associated with the psychotropic mushroom Amanita Muscaria. This may
connect him in some way to Shamanic mind-altering techniques.
Lesovikha - (Leh-soh-VEE-kah)
Female Leszi. Sometimes an ugly woman with large breasts, sometimes a naked young girl or a woman in white as tall as the trees.
Lugovik - (loo-GOH-veek)
Spirit of the meadow. "lugo" - meadow. He should not be confused with the spirit of the
grain field.
Musail
The forest tsar, king of the forest spirits. He was associated with the Rowan tree.
Ovinnik - (Oh-VEEN-neek) Russian
Barn spirit from "Ovin" - threshing barn. The Slavic threshing barn was a 2 story building
with a furnace entrenched in earth on the first floor and the second floor for drying
the grain. It was ruled by the Ovinnik who appeared as a huge disheveled black cat with
burning eyes. You could sometimes hear him laughing or barking like a dog from the corner
of the barn in which he lived. Offerings of blini or the last sheaf were left to him.If
angered, he was known to burn down the barn, usually with it's owner or owner's children
in it.
Polewik, Polevoi (poh-LEH-veek)
Field spirit from "pole" - field. He appears as a deformed dwarf with grass for hair
and two differently colored eyes. He usually wears either all white or all black and

appears at noon or sunset. He will lead astray people who wander in the fields, and if
they fall asleep there, give them diseases or ride over them with his horse. If a person
falls asleep drunk while on the job, the Polewik might kill them. To appease the Polewik
you must put two eggs and a rooster too old to crow in a ditch when no one is looking.
Poludnica - Psezpolnica in Serbian (poh-wood-NEET-sah) Lady Midday, from "Poluden" - noon. She may
appear as a 12-yr old girl, a beautiful woman or an old hag but is only seen at the hottest part of a summer's
day. She is known to steal children or lead them astray in the fields and Russian mothers threaten their
children with "Be good or the Poludnica will get you. She sometimes pulls the hair of farm workers or
attacks women who have just given birth and wander out at noontime. She carries a scythe and will stop
people in the field to either ask difficult questions or engage them in conversation. If the person fails to
answer a question or tries to change the subject of the conversation, the Poludnica will strike them with
illness or cut off their head (Poland). The Wends, German Slavs, called her pscipolnitsa and pictured her as
carrying shears, a symbol of death. When not in the fields or streets, the Poludnica was said to float on the
winds. Marija Gimbutas calls her "sunstroke" personified. It is thought that the Poludnica was the
explanation for the dangers of working in the noon heat and remained a part of more recent legend because
of her usefulness in scaring children away from valuable crops.
Polunocnica - (Poh-woo-nok-NEET-sah)
"lady midnight". A "demon" said to torment children in the middle of the night. May have
originally been the third Zorya of midnight
Poluvirica - (Poh-woo-vee-REET-sa)
"female half-believer". This forest spirit probably had an earlier name but was later
called poluvirica due to the belief that non-Christians returned after death as
various home and forest spirits. She appears naked, with a long face, long hanging breasts
and three braids of hair down her back. She is usually seen carrying a child.
Rarog - (RAH-rook) Polish, Rarich - Ukranian, Rarach - Czech.
This same word for whirlwind may be a late bastardization of the name Swarog. A
falcon, hawk or fiery dwarf who turns himself into a whirlwind. From Lusitania to the
Urals it was customary to throw a knife into a whirlwind to kill the demon residing
within it.
Into this century, Blugarians, Pomeranians and Russians were still being observed casting themselves face
down before a whirlwind to ward off illness and misfortune. Russians whould do so shouting "a belt around
your neck" in order to strangle the rarog.
Rusalka (roo-SAHW-kah)
Female water Spirit. These souls of unbabtized babies or drowned maidens became
beautiful pale girls with long flowing hair. They wear white or are sometimes naked,
usually with poppies in their hair. They lived in the waters during the winter, but moved
to the forests and fields during Rusal'naia week (hence the name) where they could
often be seen perched in trees.
A danger to humans, the Rusalki may lead cattle astray, steal children, fall upon people from the treetops and
tickle them to death or kidnap young lads to take as lovers. They love to come out in the moonlight to sing
and dance the khorovod (circle dance). If they find someone bathing near where they dance, often, they will
drown them. Tying ribbons to trees in which they were known to perch is one way to appease them. Linens
and scarves, as well as eggs were also left as offerings.
Before these nature spirits were associated with the souls of the "unclean" dead, it is believed they were the
spirits who brought moisture to forest and field.
Treasurers
pozemne vile - "earth spirits". I have not seen the Slavic name for these creatures anywhere - but in Polish
the word for gnome is "karzelek" (kar-ZEH-lek) which these creatures most resemble. Called pchuvushi by
the gypsies, they live in mines and underground workings and are the guardians of precious metals, gems &
crystals. They are most often helpful toward miners and will lead them to rich veins of ore, protect them
from danger and lead them back when they are lost. To evil persons or those who insult them they can be
deadly and have been known to send tunnels crashing down upon them or push them into dark chasms.
Whistling, hurling rocks into dark chasms and uncovering one's head are actions considered offensive to the
Treasurer. He will, however, warn the offender once before taking action. Small insults warrant a pelting

with handfuls of soil. Larger insults are usually repayed with a beating with the Treasurer's cudgel or the
forfeit of all the metals mined that day.
They sometimes appear as small naked children, as human miners, as glimmers of light or as salt people.
Most often, though, they appear as adults of smaller stature, usually about 2 - 3 feet in height, carrying
mining lanterns.
Wampyr , Upyr
Vampires have featured in the legends of all Eastern Europe. The Kashubian region on the
Baltic coast of Poland shows records of an exceptionally high belief in Vampires. As
recently as the 20th century,attempts were made in Puck and Kartuzy to exhume vampires
and render them harmless. People of high facial colour or an excitable nature were
supposed to cool slowly on death,retaining a red complexion and flexible limbs, hence
the expression "Czerwony jak wieszczy",red as a vampire. Vampires are the souls of the
dead. Their physical body does not usually leave the grave. Their victims are their own
family members whom they visit, one at time to drain their life's force. When that
family member is dead, they move onto the next. In this manner was evidence of vampire
activity discovered. Members of a single family would begin to die, one by one. If the
Wampyr had no relatives,they would pull on the church bell,signalling death for all
that heard it.
Once a vampire was detected, the first family members to pass on in the string of deaths were exhumed. If
one was found to be in extraordinarily good shape, various remedies could be used against them: They might
be cut up and their bones re-arranged. A crucifix was often placed under the tongue and sometimes a fishing
net or a bag of sand was placed in the coffin. Only one grain of sand could be removed each year,or one knot
undone,keeping the vampire away for a very long time.
According to Dion Fortune - a brilliant occultist - the "soul body" lives on for about 3 days after the death of
the physical body, then it dies also, forcing the remaining essence of the person to go on. If the person is
knowledged in the occult, they may choose to remain on earth by latching onto a human victim who is weak
or morally corrupt. Through this victim they absorb the life's energy of others. Taking blood is one method
of doing this. They cannot take the life's force of their victim, as he would die, so they possess him and force
him to take the blood of others. ...just something to think about.
Upyr were originally spirits of death and predate the sky gods.
(much of the information on Polish vampirism was e-mailed to me, the author was unknown - so no credit
could be given)
Wila, Vily, Vile, Veles in Lithuanian (VEE-lah)
Female fairy-like spirits who live in the wilderness and sometimes clouds. They were
believed to be the spirits of women who had been frivolous in their lifetimes and now
floated between here and the afterlife. They sometimes appear as the swans, snakes,
horses, falcons, or wolves that they can shapeshift into but usually appear as beautiful
maidens, naked or dressed in white with long flowing hair. It is said that if even one of
these hairs is plucked, the Wila will die, or be forced to change back to her true shape.A
human may gain the control of a Wila by stealing feathers from her wings.Once she gets
them back, however, she will disappear.
The voices of the Wila are as beautiful as they, and one who hears them loses all thoughts of food, drink or
sleep, sometimes for days. Despite their feminine charms, however, the Wila are fierce warriors. The earth is
said to shake when they do battle. They have healing and prophetic powers and are sometimes willing to
help mankind. Other times they lure young men to dance with them, which according to their mood can be a
very good orvery bad thing for the lad. They ride on horses or deer when they hunt with their bows and
arrows and will kill any man who defies them or breaks his word. Fairy rings of deep thick grass are left
where they have danced which should never be trod upon (bad luck).
Offerings for Wila consist of round cakes, ribbons, fresh fruits and vegetables or flowers left at sacred trees
and wells and at fairy caves.
The Vodonoi - Wdjanoj in Polish (vohd-YAH-noy)
Male water spirits from "Woda" - water. Master shape-shifters, they sometimes appear as
old men with long green or white beards, sometimes as creatures with huge toes, claws,
horns, a tail and burning eyes in a human face. At times they look like fat old bald men
and other times like mossy looking fish or flying tree trunks. If he takes on human form,
you will know him by the water oozing from the left side of his coat. Vodonoi are said to
live in underwater palaces made from the treasures from sunken ships and often marry
Russalki.

They are usually malicious and are believed to lie in wait for human victims and drag them under the water
to their death. Dark marks on the bodies' of drowning victims were thought to be bruises from their struggle
with the Vodonoi. Retrieving a drowned body was thought to anger the Vodonoi who wanted to keep their
spoils. A Vodonik may be appeased by pouring butter into the water or offering him your first fish. To
employ the Vodonoi's aid in fishing, throw a pinch of tobacco into the water and say loudly "Here's your
tobacco, Lord Vodonik, now give me a fish".
Zaltys
The world serpent who lay coiled at the roots of the great world tree. He was the arch
enemy of Perun, at whom Perun seemed to aim much of his lightening.
Return to top of Page....

The Greater Pantheon

Baba Jaga Bialobg Czarnbog Dazhdbg Dodola Dzarowit Dziewona Jarilo Jurata Khors Koljada
Kupalo Lada Lado Lel Marzanna Mata Syra Zjemja Misiac Mokosz Perun Porevit Rod Rodenica
Ruevit Rugievit Simargl Slava Stribg Swarg Swarozhicz Swiatowid Triglav Vesna Weles The
Zorya
Baba Jaga - (BAH-bah YAH-gah) Jezi Baba in Polish (YEH-zhee BAH-bah)
"Grandmother Bony-shanks". A terrifying Witch who flew through the air in a mortar using
the pestle as a rudder and sweeping away her tracks with a broom. She lived in a revolving
house which stood on chicken legs. Her fence was made of human bones and was topped
with skulls. The keyhole was a mouth filled with sharp teeth. She would aid those who
were strong and pure of heart and eat those who were not. I see her as a Goddess of death
and initiation.
Bialobg (byah-WOH-book)
White God from "bialy" - white. God of the waxing year. He would defeat his brother,
Czarnobog in battle every Koliada to take his place as ruler of the waxing year. At
Kupalo, they would battle again, but Czarnobog would win to rule the waning half. He was
said to appear as an old man with a long white beard, dressed in white and carrying a
staff. He was said to appear only by day and often assisted travellers in finding their
way out of dark forests or reapers in the fields.
Czarnobg (char-NOH-book)
Black God from "czarne" - black. God of the waning year.
Dazhdbg (DAHZHd-book)
Giver God from "dati" - to give.The sun personified - may be the same as Khors. This son of
Swiantowid emerged from his Eastern palace every morning in a two wheeled, diamond
chariot, pulled by twelve fire-breathing horses with manes of gold. He would travel
across the heavens each day through his twelve kingdoms (zodiac signs?). Some believed
that he emerged each day as a beautiful infant and would age until his death as an old
man in the West. Dazhdbg was also a god of justice who sat seated on a purple throne
surrounded by his seven judges (the planets?) The morning and evening stars, seven
messengers who fly across the heavens with fiery tails(comets) and sometimes, Mjestjas,
his bald uncle - the moon. In some legends, Mjesyas is his wife. He has many children who,
according to legend, live among the stars and the Russian people, who call themselves "Dazhdbog's
grandchildren."
Dzarowit (jahr-OH-veet) or Jarovit (yar-OH-veet)
God of war. Same root name as Jarilo - youth and springtime. The historian, Herbord, equated him with
Mars. His sacred symbol seems to have been the shield. When his temple at Wolgast was destroyed in 1128,
those entering it in search of idols found only a gigantic shield. Afraid of the crowds gathering outside,
Bishop Otto's men took the shield to hide behind as they exited. On sight of moving shield the people threw

themselves upon the ground thinking that it was the god himself.
Dzarowit is thought to be one of four seasonal aspects of Swiantowid, the aspect ruling Springtime and
looking toward the West. He may be related to Jarilo; In Dzarowit's name his priests proclaimed "I am your
god who covers the plains with grass and the forests with leaves. The produce of the fields and woods, the
young of the cattle and all things that serve man's needs are in my power."
from Gimbutas - "The Slavs" p160
Dodola from "doit" - to give milk. A South Slavic cloud/rain goddess. Rain was thought to be a form of
divine milk, sometimes thought to be from Dodola, sometimes the milk of Mokosh. Often, the clouds were
perceived to be heavenly women or even cows. In Serbia, the rites of Dodola were kept up until quite
recently: During a drought a girl, called Dodola, clad only in greenery and flowers was led through the
village while her companions sang "Dodola" songs:
We pass through the village, and the clouds across the sky. We go quicker, and the clouds go quicker, But the
clouds have overtaken us and have bedewed the fields. We go through the village, and the clouds across the
sky, and see, a ring drops from the clouds.
- W.R.Ralston p.227-229 Afterwards, the girl dances and spins while the woman douse her with water. This
practice is thought to convince the heavenly women, clouds, to rain upon the earth, represented by the
greenery.
Dziewona (jeh-VOH-nah)
This huntress was said to run throughout the Carpathian forests. A version of Diana
whose legend is probably due to contact with the Romanians.
Jarilo (yah-REE-loh)
The Young Lord - from "jaru" - young, ardent, Springtime, bright, rash. He is a beautiful,
barefoot youth wearing a long white robe. His head is crowned with a wreath of flowers
and he rides a white horse. He is seen holding a bunch of wheat ears in his left hand.
He is a god of youth and sexuality whose symbol may have been the phallus. He is a dying and resurrected
God whose funeral was celebrated during the rites of Kupalo.
Jurata (yoo-RAH-tah)
A Baltic Sea Goddess who took the form of a mermaid. She was said to live in an
underwater palace made of amber polished to look like gold. The mighty Perun fell in love
with her beauty, but Jurata had eyes only for a human fisherman. The jealous God of Thunder send down a
bolt of lightning which killed both Jurata and her fisherman. When pieces of amber wash ashore, they are
said to be pieces of Jurata's ruined palace.
Another version of this myth has her palace and lover destroyed by her own sea father who disapproved of
her romance with a mere mortal. Durning storms it is said one may still here her lamenting over the loss of
her lover.(Poland)
Khors
A name of the sun, personified, from the Iranian word "khursid". The same as Dazhdbog, as a matter of fact,
he is sometimes referred to as "Khors Dazhdbog". The name of the circle dances, xorovods, comes from his
name.
Koljada (koh-LYAH-da)
a seasonal deity of the winter solstice. See Kupalo below.
Kupalo (koo-PAH-woh)
Although many references are made to this diety either being a water Goddess or another
version of the sacrificial god, Jarilo, as best as I can acertain, Kupalo is a "seasonal"
deity of the Summer Solstice. It was customary in Slavic culture to create an effigy

named after the holiday which they were welcoming in. At the end of the holiday, the
effigy was torn apart and tossed into the fields.
Lada (LAH-dah, WAH-dah)
Lada is the Slavic goddess of love and beauty. In Russia, when a couple is happily
married, it is said they "live in lada", in love. Lad is also a word meaning "peace, union,
harmony" as in the proverb "When a husband and wife have lad, they don't require klad
(Treasure)" - Ralston, p.105. She is said to reside in the underworld, vrij, until the Vernal
Equinox, Maslenica, when she returns, bringing the lark and springtime with her. Like
Jarilo, Lada is often portrayed as a goddess who is born and dies yearly. Her sacred tree
is the lime/linden, supposedly because its leaves are shaped like hearts. As a Slavonian
love song goes:
"As the bee is drawn by the linden-bloom (or lime-perfume),
My heart is drawn by thee." - Leland, p.138
One story has her married to Swarog who without her could not have created the world. Other sources give
her a brother/lover named Lado which would make them divine twins such as Freya and Frey. There is also
some mention of her two sons, Lel & Polel, and occasionally that of a daughter, Liuli.
Lado (LAH-doh, WAH-doh)
"I fear thee not, O wolf! The god with the sunny curls will not let thee apporach. Lado, O Sun-Lado." W.R.Ralston, p.105
Partner of Lada, Lado is compared to Frey and considered a solar deity by some. In one
old chronicle, Lado is called "The God of marriage, of mirth, of pleasure and of
general happiness" to who those about to marry offered sacrifice to ensure a good union.
Lel
Son of Lada who, according to Pushkin, is the Slavic version of the Greek Hymen - god of
marriage.
Marzanna (mahr-ZAH-nah), Marena
Death and winter personified. the Marzanna appeared as an old woman dressed in white.
Annually, an effigy of her was made, escorted to the edge of the village and thrown out.
In Poland ist was burned then "drowned". This was customary as both the fire of the sun,
and the rainwaters were needed for the fertility of the crops.
Matka or Mata Syra Zjemlja
(MAHT-kah SIHR-ah ZHYEM-yah)
"...Matushka Zemlia, Mother Earth, giving suck from bountiful breasts to countless children. When the
peasants spoke of Matushka Zemlia, their eyes, usually dull and expressionless, were flooded with love, like
the eyes of children who see their mother at a distance." - Shmarya Levin
Moist Mother Earth, seems to have never been personified as other Earth Goddesses were (given human
form), but worshipped in her natural form. She may, however, be the same Goddess as Mokosh. Along with
the ancestral worship shown in the belief in household spirits, Earth worship was most adamantly clung to
despite the Christianizing of the Slavic world. She had absolute sanctity and no one was allowed to strike her
or begin farming until her birthgiving time at Maslenica. Memorial day and Assumption day (sorry - I have
no dates as of yet) were her name days so no plowing or digging could be done then. Anyone spitting on the
Earth had to beg her forgiveness.
Property disputes were settled by calling her to witness the justice of the claims. Oaths and marriages were
confirmed by swallowing a clump of earth or holding it on the head. Boundaries were measured while
walking them with a clump of earth on the head. Villages were protected from cattle plague & epidemic by
plowing a furrow around them to release Mother Earth's power. If no priest was present, sins were confessed
to the earth and into the 20th century survived the custom of begging the Earth's forgiveness prior to death.
Earth worship was transferred to the cult of Mary and is why she is such a central part of Slavic Christianity.
Unlike other nature deities, Mata Syra Zemlja was never personified as a Goddess with human features.
In the early 1900's to save their village from plague of cholera the older women circled the village at
midnight quietly getting the younger women to come out. Without the men's knowledge, they chose nine

maidens and three widows who were led out of the village and undressed down to their shifts. The maidens
let their hair down, white shawls covered the heads of the widows. They armed themselves with ploughs and
items of frightening appearance such as animal skulls.The maidens took up scythes and the entire procession
marched around the village, howling and shrieking, while ploughing a deep furrow to release the spirits of
the Earth. Any man who came upon the procession was felled by the maidens "without mercy".
Mjsjac (MYEH-syahnts)
The Moon Deity- Sometimes seen as "The Sun's old bald uncle", sometimes his wife who
grows older every winter as she moves away from her husband across the sky. In the
summer, her youth returns and they are once again re-united and remarried.
Mokosz (MOH-kosh)
Her name means "moisture" and she may be the personified version of Mati Syra Ziemlja
(Moist Mother Earth). Images of her survive to this day in Russianembroidery with arms
raised, flanked by two horsemen. She is usually describedas having a large head & long
arms. In Onolets, she was believed to walk abroad or spin wool at night and if a sheep
mysteriously lost it's hair, it meant that Mokosh had sheared them.
Mokosh is associated with weaving, spinning, and perhaps that is why she is seen as the Goddess of fate.
She is also seen as a Goddess of fertility and bounty. Some sources say she rules over occult knowledge and
divination. She is also sometimes referred to as wife of Swarog which would then create a marriage of
"heaven" and "earth". Rybakov called her the Great Mother Goddess of the Slavs.
16th century church chronicles contain a question posed to women parishoners "Did you not go to Mokosz?"
It was believed that if Mokosz were pleased with the women's offerings, she would help the women with
their laundry. This helps to support some people's theory that Mokosz was actually a water Goddess. As a
wandering goddess, she is thought to be tied into the fertility of the earth and rain is sometimes called
"Mokosz milk."
Mokosz has survived in the legends of Mokosha - minor female spirits who punish women for spinning on
Friday, Mokosh sacred day. Her worship was transfered to that of St. Paraskeva-Friday.
Mokosh' Feast Day - Mokosh was honored on the Friday between Oct 25 and Nov 1. She was given
offerings of vegetables and vegetables seem to have been the focal point of the day. One reference fixes this
date on Oct 28.
Perun - Pirun in Polish (PYOO-run)
God of thunder from "per, perk or perg" - to strike. He is described as a rugged man with a
copper beard. He rides in a chariot pulled by a he-goat and carries a mighty axe, or strely,
sometimes a hammer. This axe is hurled at evil people and spirits and will always return
to his hand., and of oak. The word strela can mean either axe or arrow, i.e. bolt and strela
are hung on hourses to protect them from storms, restore milk to cows, ease labor and
grant good luck to newborns and newlyweds.
His lighting bolts were believed to pass through the earth to a certain depth and return gradually to the
surface in a specific period of time - usually 7 yrs 40days. People, rocks and trees struck by lightening are
considered to be sacred for the heavenly fire remains inside them. In 1652 a Lithuanian man was recorded to
have eaten the ashes of a leather saddle burned by lightening. He believed his action would save him from
illness and give him oracular powers and the ability to conjur fire.
All big trees were sacred to Perun, but he especially loved the oak. There are records of oaks being fenced in
as sacred to him. Sacrifices to him usually consisted of a rooster, but on special occasions, bear, bull or hegoat might be killed. The sacrificed animal was then communally eaten as they were seen to be imbued with
the power of their patron God. Eating the god's animal to absorb the god's essence is similar to and predates
the ritual of Holy Communion.
Perun's arch enemy was the zaltys, a great serpent curled at the base of the world tree. Somehow, this also
put him on Weles' blacklist and worship of these two gods had to be kept separate.
Temples to Perun tended to be octagonal and on high ground. An idol of him set outside the castle of
Vladmir was said to have a silver head and gold moustache - in some accounts, gold mouth. When Vladmir
tore down the idol, it was tied to a horses tail and dragged to the Dnieper. Amid much weeping it was then
tossed in as men with poles made sure that he was not washed ashore or pulled out. It eventually floated
down river and was blown onto a sandbank still known as Perun's bank. Perun's holy day is Thursday, his

feast day is the 20th of July.

Porevit
from the root "pora" which means midsummer. This God, who was worshiped at Rugen, is
thought to be one of the four seasonal aspects of Swiantovid facing South and ruling
over summer. A temple of his in Garz was destroyed in the 12th century by Danish King
Waldemar.
Rod and Rodenica, Rozhenica
Literally creator and creatrix from the root verb, "dati" - to give birth. They seem to be the original "Lord
and Lady" who created the universe. Swarog gained control later on, seemingly, with Rod's permission.
Ceremonial meals in their honor were denounced by the church. These meatless meals usually consisted of
cottage cheese, mead, bread and porridge.
Rod survived as a sort of Slavic penate, household god. His worship was at the center of the older ancestor
cults. Rodenica survived as a mother-daughter team of glowing white fairies who visited children at their
birth and determined each baby's fate.
Ruevit
From the root "Ruenu" which was the Slavonic autumnal month named for the mating calls
of the newly matured animals. Worshipped on the Island of Rugen, this God is thought to
be one of the four seasonal aspects of Swiantowid ruling Autumn and facing East.
Rugievit
God of Rugen, may be the same as Ruevit. His temple at Garz consisted of a large wooden
structure with an inner room which had four posts and a roof and was decorated with
purple hangings. His oak statue had seven heads (faces, probably) and seven swords in his
girdle, an eighth in his hand.
Simargl
A winged griffin or dog that probably came to the Slavs through their Sarmatian
overlords. In Sarmatian myth, Simourg (Simargl) guarded the tree which produced the
seed to every species of plant. He also was responsible for the dispursement of these
seeds and thus is connected with vegetative fertility. According to some, Simargl is a
fiery bird and may be the orignal firebird of Russian myth.
Slava
A beautiful bird - a messenger of God Perun, every feather of which was said to shine a
different color. This beautiful bird was called MATEPb CBA (Mater Sva) which can be
translated either as Mater Slava (Mother Glory), Mater svex (Mother of everyone) or
Mater Sova (Mother Owl - which may be why much of Russian Folk art depicts an owl). This
flame colored bird usually appeared in the critical moment and pointed with its wing
the direction in which an army should go. Everyone knew that either glory or a glorious
death awaited the warriors and the prince had no choice but to follow the bird's lead.
(from Taras at Adventure World E-zine)
Stribg (SHTREE-book)
From "srei"-to flow or from the Iranian "srira" beautiful, a common epithet for the
wind. Grandfather of the winds. According to E.G.Kagarov, Stribog was a deity of wind,
storms and dissension. He was supposed to bring the frost.
Swarg (SHVAR-ook)
From "svargas" - radiant sky, "svarati" - gleams. His name survives in the Romanian word
for sunburnt or hot - sfarog. A smith god, identified with Hephaestis, he was associated

with fire & with it's generative power, particularly sexual. He is the father of Dazhbog
(the sun) and Swarowicz - or Ogon, the celestial and hearth fires, respectively. A master
craftsman, he could shapeshift into the wind, a golden-horned aurochs (ox), boar, horse,
or the falcon, Varagna which was his main incarnation.
Swarog was concerned only with heavenly affairs and left the earthly ones to his son. Unfortunately for his
children, Perun was a much stronger war god and took over the role as chief deity of the warrior classes.
Swarog may be the "divine light" of God which in turn produced both the Celestial & Terrestrial fires.
Swarozhicz/Swarowicz (shvar-OH-zheech/veech)
God of fire personified. As the name literally means "Swarog's son", all of Swarog's
children would be called Swarozhich i.e. "Dazhdbog Swarozhich", therefore,
Swarowicz may not originally have been a god but all of Swarog's children. Some sources
mention Dazhbog's brother as Ogon, meaning "fire". Other sources believe that the God of
fire's name could not be spoken aloud. People would refer to him by his title as Swarog's
son. Jehovah was originally a fire god who's name could not be spoken aloud. hmmm....makes
you wonder.
Swiatowid (shvyan-TOH-veed), Sventovit
From "svent" - strong, or perhaps "sventu" - Iranian for holy. God of war and protector of
fields. His gender is not fixed as male, though, for his statue in Galica, Poland had 2
male sides and 2 female sides. Swiantowid had his own white horse only ridden by the
high priest. He was believed to accompany anyone who went to war seated upon it. Before a
war, the horse was led down a row of crossed spears. If he walked the row without
catching a hoof on a spear it was a good omen.
His temple at Arkona was described thus: One door, a red roof and strong walls ornamented in relief with all
kinds of roughly painted carvings. The outer walls were made of vertical wooden posts enclosing an area
more than 20m square. Inside was decorated with ornaments, purple items and animal horns. An inner room
consisting of a roof supported by four columns and hung with purple rugs contained a sunken base for a
huge idol of the god. The idol held a drinking horn in his right hand. Mead was poured into it at harvest, the
higher the level reached, the better next year's crop was purported to be. Swiatowid may be an aspect of or
Western Slavonic version of Swarog.
Triglav (TREE-glahv)
Triglav was a three-faced deity, symbolizing the dominion over the three realms - sky,
earth, and the underworld. Triglav was shown blindfolded, supposedly because the god
was too sacred to view the evils of the earth, and his temple at Stettin was richly
sculpted both inside and out and decorated with war booty on the inside.
Vesna
"Spring". A Vernal Goddess, possible Serbian in origin.
Weles, Volos (VEH-less, VOH-lohs)
The Slavic Horned lord, ruled horned animals, wealth and the underworld. He is
believed to have survived from the time of a common Indo-European pantheon. He was also
a god of trade and oaths were sworn in his name. Weles is also the God of poets and bards
and is often associated with magick. He was later associated with St. Blas, guardian of
cattle.
At Kiev, his statue was not among those on the hill outside the palace but was instead, erected in the
marketplace. This is supposedly because he and Perun are great enemies and couldn't be worshipped
together.
The Zorya - (ZOR-yah)
These daughters of Dazhdbog are the Auroras of dawn and dusk, and sometimes have a
third sister, midnight (perhaps, Polunocnica). They are the Guardians of the God or hound,
which is chained to the constellation, Ursa Major. Like the Fenris wolf of the Norse
mythos, this creature will destroy the world if it ever breaks free.

Each morning, Zorya Utrenyaya opens the gates of Dazhdbog's Eastern palace so he may ride across the sky.
In the evening, Zorya Vechernyaya closes the gates after her father's daily ride is finished. Their other two
sisters, Zezhda Dennitsa and Vechernyaya Zezhda, the morning star and evening star are the caretakers of
their father's horses and are sometimes considered to be the same two goddesses. These Goddesses,
associated with Venus, are sometimes merged into one warrior Goddess, Zorya, who hides and protects
warriors with her veil (see her prayer on the Slavic Magick page.)
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Baltic Deities
I will one day get to this Pantheon. Really.
Back to the Slavic Paganism & Witchcraft home page

Slavic Magick & Folk Medicine

Spells Divinations Remedies Superstitions

Spells
Prosperity and Domestic Tranquility
To Attract a Domovoi: Go outside of your home wearing your finest clothing and say aloud "Dedushka
Dobrokhot, Please come into my house and tend the flocks."
To rid yourself of a rival Domovoi: Sometimes a home may have one too many Domoviki. In this case
poltergeist-like activity may occur. Beat the walls of your home with a broom shouting "Grandfather
Domovoi, help me chase away this intruder."
To Gain Magickal Knowledge
Calling a Leshii: Cut down an Aspen tree so that it's top falls facing the East. Bend over and look through
your legs saying "Leshi, Forest Lord, Come to me now; not as a grey wolf, not as a black raven, not as a
flaming fir tree, but as a man."
The leshii will teach the arts of magick to any whom he befriends.
(from Ivanits - Russian Folk Lore)
For Love
a zagorovui, or runespell, to capture the one you love:
In the ocean sea, on the island of Buyan, there live three brothers, three winds: the first Northern, the second
Eastern and the third Western. Waft, O winds, bring on (lover's name) sorrow and dreariness so that without
me s/he may not be able to spend a day nor pass an hour!
and yet another...
I, (conjuror's name), stand still, uttering a blessing.
I go from the room to the door, from the courtyard to the gates.
I go out into the open field to the Eastern side. On the Eastern side stands an izba (cottage). In the middle of
the izba lies a plank, under the plank is the longing.
The longing weeps. The longing sobs, waiting to get at the white light. The white light
, the fair sun, waits, enjoys itself, and rejoices.
So may s/he wait, longing to get to me, and having done so, may he enjoy himself and rejoice!
And without me let it not be possible for him to live, nor to be, nor to eat, nor to drink;
neither by the morning dawn, nor by the evening glow.
As a fish without water, as a babe without its mother, without its mother's milk, cannot
live, so may s/he, without me, not be able to live, nor to be, nor to eat, nor to drink, nor by
the evening glow; neither every day, not at mid-day, nor under the many stars, nor together
with the stormy winds. Neither under the sun by day, nor under the moon by night.
Plunge thyself, O longing, gnaw thy way, O longing, into his/her breast, into his/her heart;
grow and increase in all his/her veins, in all his bones, with pain and thirst for me!
- from "Songs of the Russian People", William Ralston
For Protection
Prayer: Recite the following prayer to Zorya:

Oh Virgin, unsheath your father's sacred sword.

Take up the breastplate of your ancestors.
Take up your powerful helmet.
Bring forth your steed of black.
Fly forth to the open field,
There, where the great army with countless weapons is found.
Oh, Virgin, cover me with your veil.
Protect me against the power of the enemy
Against guns and arrows, warriors and weapons;
Weapons of wood, of bone, of copper, of iron and steel.
(from The New Larousse Encyc. of Mythology)
For Happiness
Recite the following to a flame:
"Dear Father, tsar fire,
Be gentle and kind to me.
Burn away all my aches & pains, tears & worries."
To Have Lost Animals Return
The following letter is written on three pieces of birchbark:
I am writing to the forest tsar and forest tsaritsa with their small children; to the earth tsar and earth tsaritsa
with their small children; to the water tsar and water tsartitsa with their small children. I inform you that
(name of owner inserted) has lost a (color mentioned) horse (or cow, or other animal - distinctive marks
should be given). If you have it send it back without delaying an hour, a minute, a second. If you do not
comply with my wish, I shall pray against you to the great God, Weles and tsaritsa Alexandra.
One letter is fastened to a tree in the forest, the second buried in the earth and the third thrown with a stone
into water. After this, the lost animal is supposed to return by itself.
To Bring the Rain
If rain was needed a virgin girl was chose, one not yet old enough to conceive whose mother was no longer
able to conceive. Naked, yet draped all over with flowers, she would whirl around and around while singing
invocations to Perun. All the while she would be "watered" by the surrounding women.
To Win a Fist Fight
Recite while holding a stone from a gravesite:
"I summon to my aid the forest spirits from the forest and the water spirits from the
water: and you, forest spirits of the forest, water spirits of the water, come to my aid
against my opponent fist-fighter, and enable me to defeat my opponent fist-fighter with
my own fists. And you, forest spirits from the forest and water spirits of the water,
take the rock from this corpse and place it on the hands, or head, or feet of my opponent
fist-fighter...and just as this dead man is heavy from the earth and rock, so too may my
opponent fist-fighter be heavy to lift his hand against me, and may my opponent become
weak in the arms and the legs, and blind in the eyes from my verdict until the time I
remove it."
To Guard against Slander
A zagovorui, or runespell, against Slander:
O righteous Sun! Do thou in my foes, my rivals, my opposers, in the powers that be, and public officials, and
in all people of good mouth and heart, parch up evil thoughts and deeds, so that they may not rise up, may
not utter words baleful for me!
Spoiling
"Spoiling" is a Slavic term for cursing. The following spells are posted here only for
research purposes:
To Cause One to Wither
Dirt from the victim's footprint was collected and placed in a little bag, or a lock of
the victim's hair was coated with clay. Either of these were hung inside the chimney. As
the dirt or clay dried out, so, supposedly, did the victim.
To Cause Death
Bareheaded and wearing only an undergarment, the magick user would circle the property of his or her
victim's yard with a burning candle. The candle was then broken in two and turned upside-down.
Eggs (termed "white swans" for this purpose) and/or bread were brought to the gravesite of a known
criminal in exchange for some soil from their grave which was removed while saying "As this corpse has

died unrepentant, so may you too die, unrepentant."

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Divinations
Tatyana curiously gazes
At the prophetic waxen mold,
All eager in its wondrous mazes
A wonderous future to behold.
Then from the basin someone dredges,
Ring after ring, the player's pledges,
And comes her ringlet, they rehearse
The immemorial little verse:
"There all the serfs are wealthy yeomen,
They shovel silver with a spade;
To whom we sing, he shall be made
Famous and rich!" But for ill omen
They take this plaintive ditty's voice;
Koshurka (kitten) is the maiden's choice
- Pushkin, from Eugene Onegin V.8, translated by Walter Arndt.
Podbljudnaja - (Pohd-blyood-NIE-ya) - "Under the Plate"
This form of divination should be done on Koliada and New Year's only. Each person takes
a ring off their finger and places it into a bowl filled with water. A plate covers the
bowl and songs are sung over it. At the end of each song, a ring is pulled out and the fate
that the song is believed to apply to the owner of that ring.
Some traditional Podbljudnaja:
Podbljudnaja that fortell a wedding:
The ring was rolling
Along the velvet
The ring rolled up
To the ruby.
For one who takes it out
For her it will come true,
For her it will come true,
She will not escape
A Maple entwined with a birch
It did not untwine - Lada, Lada
Whoever takes it out
For her it will come true,
All will be well.
A little cat is sitting
In a wicker basket
She is sewing a towel.
She will marry the tom
For whom we are singing
All will be well.
Podbljudnaja that fortell wealth:
A rooster was digging
on a little mound of Earth
The rooster dug up
A little pearl.
For whoever gets it
All will be well.
A calyx is floating from somewhere beyond the sea.
To wherever it floats, there it will blossom.
Whoever takes it out - For her will it come true.
She will not escape - glory!
To predict a journey:
The sleigh stands, ready to go - Glory!
In it the cushions are all arranged - Glory!
It stands near the forest, waiting to go for a ride - Glory!

To whom we sing this song, all will be well.

It will come true, she will not escape - Glory.
To predict widowhood:
I sat - by a window
I waited - for my beloved
I could no longer wait
I fell asleep.
In the morning - I awoke
I suddenly - realized
I am a widow.
To whom we sing, all will come true.
To fortell death:
Death is walking down the street
Carrying blini* on a plate
Whoever takes the ring out
For her it will come true.
She will not escape - Glory.
(*blini is a traditional food offering to the dead)
This podbljudnaja is traditionally sung at midnight on New Year's eve and also predicts death.
A dandy once took a very sharp axe - Lileju
The dandy went out - into the wide courtyard.
The dandy began - to hew some boards
To nail the wood - into an oaken coffin
Whomever this song reaches,
For her it will come true
She will not escape
If you choose to write your own songs for this divination ritual, you may want to use some traditional
symbolism. Bread, grain, millet or rye symbolize harvest, fulfillment and material security. Gold, silver,
jewels, pearls, fur and expensive cloth symbolize luxury and wealth. Doing things together like eating,
drinking, working, standing or sitting together symbolize love and happy marriages. The songs are usually
short as one song quickly follows another and traditionally, each refrain ends with a praise word such as
glory.
Songs taken from Reeder: Russian Folk Lyrics. See Resource Page.
A Russian flower divination resembles the "He loves me" rhyme. They say:
Lyubit, Ne lyubit, Plyunit, Potseluyet, K sertsu prizhmet, K chertu poshlet, Dorogoj nazovet
(S/He loves, doesn't love me, Spits on me, Kisses me, Hugs me to his/her heart, Sends me to the devil, Calls
me his/her dear one.)
If a thread was hanging from one's clothing, they would wrap it around the finger while reciting the alphabet.
Whatever letter you stop on when the thread is fully wrapped is the initial of the future spouse. The color of
the thread is also important. If the thread is pale, the spouse will be blonde, if dark, the spouse will be a
brunette.
Wax Divinations - before Koljada, wax was melted and after it cooled, or was dropped into water, special
attention was given to its shape. A coffin meant death to the inquirer, a ring meant marriage, etc. Sometimes
this method was used by dropping molten lead into the water instead of wax.
New Year's Divinations Divination rituals that occurred on New Year's Eve were considered especially powerful if one followed
certain rules. No crosses or belts could be worn and no blessings could be asked.
It was customary on New Year's Eve for a girl to back up to the bathhouse door with her hem over the back
of her head (rear-end exposed) and ask a question of the Bannik. If a cold touch or scratch from his claw was
felt, it meant no. If a warm touch or caress was felt, it meant yes.
This same divination could be used if one put their hand in-between the wood of the bathhouse.
If you looked into the mirror in the steam bath on New Years eve, you would see the face of your future
husband, or if you slept on a log, you would see his face in a dream.
If you caught the moons reflection in a mirror, your future spouses name would also be revealed there.
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Remedies
These are actual remedies that were used, taken from various sources. Whether or not they work, I could not
tell you.
Alcoholism:
a zagovorui, or rune spell, for alcoholism:
Dost thou hear O Sky (Svarog)? Dost thou see, O Sky? O ye bright Stars! Descend into the marriage-cup,
and in my cup let there be water from a mountain spring. O thou fair Moon! Bow down to my klyet (storeroom). O thou free Sun! Dawn upon my homestead. O ye Stars! Deliver me,(insert name here), from drink! O
Sun, draw me from drink!
Colds:
I think Babci was just trying to keep me quiet with this one when I was little!
Into a cup of hot tea add fresh lemon juice, honey and a shot of jezynowka (Polish cherry
brandy). Sip. Have no more than 2 cups, unless you WANT to get drunk.
Coughs:
Upon retiring, have a glass of hot beer.
Add some honey to a grated radish and eat along with any of the radish juices.
Crankiness:
"When your child is mysteriously cranky, has a strange unyielding headache, or can't sleep after a day out
or around people, either the child has been jinxed or exposed to negative energy/forces
The child's mother should take the lower left corner of her skirt, apron, or shirt with her right hand and wipe
the childs face several times in a clockwise direction. Afterwards, give the child some water and put it to bed.
This spell is normally used for young children but it works at any age. My 70 year old grandma did it to my
50 year old mother a little while ago and it worked."
(Thanks to Vika for this Ukranian remedy)
Fever:
Rub vodka on your chest and feet, put some mustard powder in a pair of woollen socks and put them on.
Drink a mixture of milk, honey, baking soda, and vodka and go to sleep.
Before bed, stand naked, wearing only a woolen hat, with your feet up to the ankles in hot water and drink a
large mug of tea with honey, jam, and at least 100g (about 2 1/2 shots) of vodka.
Hemmorhoids:
Put two liters of milk and four large onions in a large covered clay pot and slowly heat it in the oven.
Remove the pot from the oven, replace the cover with a toilet seat or similar object and sit on it. Steam
yourself for a while and then rub the afflicted area with vaseline.
Hiccups:
Rub a mixture of vinegar and mustard on your tongue. Hold for two minutes and then rinse.
Illness, general:
a zagorvorui, or runespell, for healing:
Mother Zorya of morning and evening and midnight! as ye quietly fade away and disappear, so may both
sicknesses and sorrows in me, (insert name), quietly fade and disappear - those of the morning, and of the
evening, and of midnight!
Pain:
"For unexplainable pain in the arm, hand, or wrist which nothing seems effective on....
Take a piece of thread (red is best...I don't know why but I can ask if you like) and tie it
around your wrist. It should ease the pain if it doesn't get rid of it all together."
- From Vika.
Sore Throat:
Mix one cup vodka, one cup oil and the juice of one lemon. Gargle with it and then drink.

Make a juice of mashed onion and water. Gargle.

Breathe heavily on a frog for about 8 to 10 minutes. The frog's heart should start beating rapidly and the
sickness should pass entirely to the frog. You should feel instant relief. The less faint of heart should put the
frog directly into the mouth and hold it for a couple of minutes.
Stuffy nose:
Mash several cloves of garlic and put them in a pot of boiling water. Stand over the pot and breathe through
your nose for five minutes.
Tickling, To proof a child against:
Roll dough over the child's back, then bake a flat cake of that dough and feed it to the
dog.
Toothache:
Place a piece of salo (a slab of fat) in the opposite side of the mouth from the painful region. Hold for about
20 minutes.
A zagovorui, runespell, for a toothache:
O thou young Moon! Test the dead and the living: the teeth of one who is dead, do they ache? Not at all ache
the teeth of one dead, whose bones are tanned, whose teeth are mute....Grant, O Lord, that the teeth of me,
_______, may become mute and never ache.
This zagovorui must be recited three times while biting the stone doorway of a church:
As this stone is firm, so may my teeth also become stony - harder than stone
This supposedly goes back to pre-Christian times and the stone was originally the stone
of an axe or hammer, symbols of Perun.
Ulcer:
Mix two raw eggs with a shot of vodka and drink 20 minutes before breakfast.
Upset stomach:
Add salt and pepper to two shots of vodka and drink.
Warts: My grandmother's remedy Cut a piece from a potato (be careful that it does not include an "eye") rub the cut part on
the wart and then bury the piece of potato. As the potato dissolves, so will the wart.
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Omens & Superstitions

Never touch a person or shake their hand over the threshold. If you don't wait until they are inside, you will
not see them again for seven years and risk angering the Domovoi to boot.
It is unlucky to sit at the corner of a table.
If the cat is cleaning herself it means that company is coming.
If you whistle inside, you risk losing all your money.
Never begin a new project on a Friday.
If you compliment a person on their appearance or their baby's health, you must either knock unpolished
wood or spit three times over the left shoulder lest the fairy's take them.
Never shave or cut your hair when a family member is in danger.
Never cut your hair while pregnant or the unbilical cord will wrap around ur baby's neck - From Vika.
When giving flowers, give only odd numbers of flowers. Even numbers are for the dead.
If a bird hits the window, someone will die.
If you accidently step in poop or a bird poops on you, you will win money. - From Vika.
If you break a mirror, you can run the pieces under water to counteract the bad luck.
Never show a newborn baby to a stranger until it is at least 40 days old.
Do not put keys on a table. You'll lose money - From Vika.
Tatyana, in her heart obeying
The simple folkways of the past,

Believed in dreams and in soothsaying

And heeded what the moon forecast.
Weird apparitions would distress her,
And any object could impress her
With some occult significance
Or dire foreboding of mischance.
A preening pussycat, relaxing
Upon the stove with lick and purr,
Was an unfailing sign to her
That guests were coming; or a waxing
Twin-horned young moon that she saw ride
Across the sky on her left side
Would make her tremble and change color;
Each time a shooting star might flash
In the dark firmament, grow duller
And burst asunder into ash:
All flustered, Tanya would be seeking,
While yet the fiery spark was streaking,
To whisper it her heart's desire.
But if she met a black-robed friar
At any place or any season,
Or if from out the meadow swath
A fleeing hare should cross her path,
She would be frightened out of reason,
And filled with superstitious dread,
See some calamity ahead.
- Pushkin - from Eugene Onegin V.5 & V.6 - translated by Walter Arndt.
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Slavic Ritual Recipes

Traditionally, ritual libation would have consisted of mead. There is currently a very good commercial Polish
mead available called "Piast". It is produced and bottled in Poland and imported by Adamba Imports,
Brooklyn, NY 11237.This brand of mead is SO Pagan that the back of the bottle boasts "Piast, a 9th century
Polish prince quaffed his honey wine from the horn of a bison, the same way his forbears paid homage to
their ancient god, Swiatowid." - the strange thing is that...a 9th century prince would have been VERY Pagan
as Poland was not Christianized until the year 966....the TENTH century.

Blini
Blini is not only a food appropriate for ritual, it is a traditional food offered to the dead.
Scald 2 cups milk. When it has cooled somewhat, stir in 1 package yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1
1/2 cups flour. Let this rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour. beat 3 egg yolks with 1tsp
salt, 1 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 cup flour. Stir this into the sponge. Beat 3 eggwhites
until stiff and fold them into the batter. Cook small pancakes in melted butter. Serve
with sour cream and maybe some caviar.

Pierogi
These little moon-shaped dumplings are perfect for during and/or after any circle work.
mix 1 egg, 1 tbsp oil, a pinch of salt and enough flour to make a good pasta dough. Roll this
out thin (best to use a pasta maker) and using a floured, upturned glass, cut circles out of
the dough. Place a small amount of filling in the center of the circle and fold over,
wetting the edge to seal. Boil in salted water until tender. You may then fry them in
butter with sliced onions. Serve with sour cream.

Pierogi Fillings:
Seasoned Mashed potatoes
Seasoned mashed potatoes & sauer kraut
Seasoned farmer's cheese

Finely chopped mushrooms sauteed with onion

Ground meat mixed with 1 raw egg & some dillweed.

Other Recipes
Not specifically magickal, but any Slavic ritual should be followed by a good deal of eating....

Glumpki - Stuffed Cabbage

Core 2 or 3 heads of cabbage and immerse each one in boiling water for about 5 minutes
each. Peel off all the larger leaves and cut out the stalky parts at the bottoms. Set
aside.
Mix together: 1lb ground beef, 1 lb ground pork, 1 2 cups cooked long grain rice (al dente), 1
large chopped onion, salt, pepper and a little oil.
In each cabbage leaf place about 2 Tbsps of the meat mixture and roll up - first bring in
the sides of the leaf then roll. Do this to all the meat mixture.
Line the bottom of a large covered casserole with some of the extra cabbage leaves.
Place the cabbage bundles tightly together in the pot and cover with a mixture of 1 large
can crushed tomatoes and 2 Tbsp cider vinegar. You may want to add tomato juice to be sure
all the cabbage bundles are kept wet during cooking. Cover with a layer of extra cabbage
leaves and either bake for 1 hr or cook atop the stove for 50 minutes.

Latkas - Potato Pancakes

Peel and grate 1 lb of russet potatoes. mix with one egg, 1/2 to cup flower, salt, pepper and
1 or 2 chopped scallions.
Heat a mixture of butter and oil in a frying pan. fry the batter in small, flattened
amounts. The latkas should be brown and crispy. Serve with sour cream.
You can cheat by using left over mashed potatoes instead of grated fresh ones. It still
tastes pretty good.

Mushroom Kasha
mix 1 cup kasha (buckwheat groats) with 1 egg and 1/3 cup sliced, sauteed mushrooms. Stir-fry in 2 Tbsp
butter till the egg is cooked and buckwheat is separated. Add 2 cups boiling chicken broth, salt & pepper and
simmer, covered, for ten minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.
Copyright 1998 - Ainsley Friedberg

Maslenica Ritual
In Little Russia it used to be the custom at Eastertide to celebrate the funeral of
Kostrubonko, an Ostara-like deity of spring. A circle of singers was formed around a
young girl who lay feigning death. They would move slowly around her singing:
Dead, dead is our Kostrubonko!
Dead, dead is our dear one!
The girl would then spring up suddenly amidst much rejoicing while the singers changed
their song to:
Come to life, come to life has our Kostrubonko!
Come to life, come to life has our dear one!

Rusal'naia Ritual
Group Ritual
This rite should be held outdoors near a river or stream and somewhere where a small
cookfire may be lit. If a cookfire cannot be lit, bring an oil lamp or candle in a glass
container. Women should have the predominant parts of this ritual. This ritual was
written for 6 or more participants but can be performed by only two if they divide up
all the speaking parts between themselves. You should have:
a large birch branch with green leaves should be erected in the middle of the circle area as if it were a
small tree. It should have at least as many branches off of it as there are circle attendants.
a basket of ribbons, flowers and fruits should be by the tree.
a small cauldron or other container for water
a poppet made of biodegradeable materials placed beneath the "tree"
Three offering plates, one for the gods, one for the ancestors and one for the spirits of nature.
cakes and ale, preferably mead and honey bread.
Cauldron should be filled with water and brought into circle, chant should start up
like:
"water of death to water of life. We infuse you with the healing light."
Circle area should be swept around three times with a broom, widdershins and then
circled three times with torches, or candles, deosil. If desired, the area and
attendants may be smudged with juniper before entering the circle.
At this point the group should be led through a simple relaxation and/or grounding
meditation which may be followed with a guided meditation to introduce the members of
the group to the Rusalka.(Sorry, haven't written one yet!)
One person takes the container of water and anoints the heads of all present moving
clockwise: " Let us honor the Rusalki's return from the watery otherworld. With each step of their sacred
xorovods, they bring moisture and life to the fields. With their arboreal ascent, the trees burst into leaf and
bud. We salute you, water women, and invite you and all other friendly spirits of water and woodland, to
enter our sacred circle. Hail & Welcome."
One person lights the fire. "Let us turn our thoughts to the strengthening of the Sun king, Dahzhdbog,
the celestial fire, who now moves toward the apex of his glory. Let us think of Svarovich, his divine brother of
the terrestrial fire, the first fruit of wisdom plucked from the flaming tree of knowledge without whom our
lives would be ever dim. Let us think of the fire which rages within the belly of our great Mother Earth. And
finally let us call Swarog, the divine light which shines within and about us all. Hail & Welcome"
Third person: " Let us now bring our attention to the belly of our Moist mother earth, womb of all who
seek entrance into this life, and when this life is done, womb of all who seek entrance to the next. May she,
and the Gods of Vrij grant passage to the spirits of those we have loved who have gone before us, that they
may join us in today's feasting and celebration. Hail and Welcome."
Attendants may be encouraged to invite their deceased loved ones by name. With each invitation, the other
attendants should respond with "hail and welcome"
All the attendants should now "curl" the tree/birch branch. The smaller branches should be formed into
wreath shapes and tied with ribbons. This should be done with all brance ends. The "tree" should then be
decorated with the flowers, fruit, and remaining ribbons. The food should be placed directly under the tree,
near the poppet.
High Priestess: The kumits'ja ceremony was performed to ensure a life-long bond between friends.
Whomever you choose to kiss through the kumits'ja wreaths while we dance to raise the energy, will be your
friend for life. This is not a spell to be taken lightly, so choose carefully or not at all.

A xorovod would be ideal, but if you don't know any traditional Slavic circle dances,
any spiral dance will do, or you can run around the circle clockwise while holding hands.
People may drop out to kiss through the wreath and rejoin the circle. When all are tired
or giggling hysterically, they may all drop to the ground. The Priestess should cry
"Let it be so!"
A fourth person takes the wine and the cakes, and holds them before herself. She
offers some to the Ancestors, some to the Ancient Ones,and some to the Nature Spirits
while saying:
We invite you, Gods and Goddesses of our people, Sovereigns of the sacred realms of Nav,
Prav & Yav, to join us in our feasting and celebration. We invite you, O Spirits of Nature,
otherworldly creatures of forest and field. Join us in love and trust in our feasting
and celebration. We invite you, ancestors and loved ones who have gone before us to pass
through the gates of Vij and join in our feasting and celebration with those whom they
love. Hail and Welcome.
The remaining libations are shared by the attendants.
Everyone should now cut a wreath from the tree and place it on their head, or one person
should be designated to do this for all involved. Once each person is wearing a wreath,
all non biodegradeable items should be removed from the tree and it should be taken up
by the women and carried to the river or stream along with the poppet.
Fifth person: In times of yore, our ancestors would give to the river a young girl. Her soul was said to be
taken by the water women where she would join their rank. Without this offering, it was believed that the
number of water women would dwindle and they would soon die off, never again to bring moisture to the
vegetative world. All would wither and die.
Our offerings have changed, but not our devotion. We give you, Rusalki, this humble
offering, that you may receive thanks and know that your work does not go unnoticed."
The poppet should be set upon the water and allowed to float off. An appropriate song
may be sung. A couple of Pagan chants come to mind. "The River is Flowing" works. Don't ask
me how it goes...I don't have a music writing program.
After the poppet is gone, the birch should be set afloat on the water and, a few minutes
later, the wreaths should be thrown in after it.
If a wreath floats away, love will come to it's sender from that direction. If it
floats at all it is a good omen. If it circles, the sender should buckle up for some hard
times ahead. If it sinks, the sender should go in for a check up and be extra careful to
avoid accidents. When this is done, everyone should reconvene at the circle area.
Third person: Ancestors, loved ones, those of the land of Vij, we thank you for your presence here. Hail
and Farewell
First Person: Rusalka, Nature Spirits, Protectors of the Mother, welcome back to our Realm, and thank
You for Your presence here. Hail and Farewell
Second Person: Shining Ones, Gods and Goddesses, Sovereigns and Creators, thank you for your
presence here. Hail and Farewell.
Each person is handed a clump of Earth: Moist Mother Earth, doorway to life in this world and the next, We
humbly beg your forgiveness for the times we have not trod gently upon your flesh, have not felt as one with
your presence. Hear us now as we give you our oath to be kinder and more responsible for your well being.
Each person should be directed to hold the earth over their head and swear to be kinder
to Mat Syra Zemlia in their own way: that they'll recycle more, buy less plastic, less
chemical cleaning agents..etc.

High Priestess: Our circle is done, our rite is over, may the Gods be your guides and the Zorya protect
you.
The water from the cauldron should be poured onto the earth and the offerings to the gods and nature spirits
should be removed from the libation plates and discreetly left for the gods and spirits (or animals) You may
leave the offering to the ancestors there also, or someone may leave it in a cemetary on their way home.
AND - remember to clean up. Not much point in making oaths to mother earth if you can't
even keep them during her rituals.
Most of all....Have Fun!
copyright 1998 Ainsley Friedberg

Group Ritual
(This ritual is under construction)
Ritual should ideally be done in an area where a large campfire may be lit and people
may go swimming. You will need:
a large life-sized poppet made of straw dressed in women's clothing
coffin shaped box or litter
Three libation plates
Offerings, preferably mead and bliny
Before the ritual everyone should have a chance to go for a swim. Water games may be
played where people may douse each other with buckets of water. Be sure that all
willing "dousees" wear something to denote that they are O.K. with this, like a blue
ribbon pinned on their clothing or blue arm-band. The "Kupala" should be leaned against a
tree and surrounded by food offerings.
At ritual time, all cookfires should be extiguished.
A fire lighting ceremony should occur. If you feel like being really traditional, the oldest male should start
the fire by friction, while all the others wait in silent reverence.
Ritual area should be circled three times with torches which were lit by the central fire.
The Kupala doll should be tossed over the fire back and forth several times, but not burnt. Couples should
then jump the fire while holding hands. If they do not lose hold, it is said that they will be married.
Unattached persons may jump the fire with the Kupala.
The "Kupala" should be stripped of it's clothing and ornaments at the end of the ritual, then the straw should
be torn apart and thrown in the water (or as much as is possible without actually littering.) Whatever remains
should be carried around in the coffin or litter amidst much wailing. At this time, several men in woman's
clothing should follow the coffin around crying and wailing and hamming it up as much as possible. It's
supposed to be fun. If you choose, a woman may be dressed as a Catholic priest and a mock funeral may be
performed. The body was traditionally censed with a mixture of dung and old shoes - but since no one will
want to breathe that in, any foul smelling mixture may be used. Sulfur or asafoetida are great incenses to use
when you want to really stink.
Everyone, upon leaving, should be encouraged to take some of the straw from the kupala for their gardens or
house plants.

Solitary Ritual
You will need:
a container of oil. Traditionally hemp was used, but rapeseed or any other vegetable oil will do.
At dawn on August 7th or thereabouts, turn towards the East and say: "Mother Earth, subdue
every evil and unclean being so that he may not cast a spell on us nor do us any harm." Pour
some oil onto the Earth, or if indoors, into a libation dish.
Turn to the West and say: "Mother Earth, engulf the unclean power in thy boiling pits, in
thy burning fires." Pour out some oil.
Turn to the South and say: "Mother Earth, calm the winds coming from the south and all
bad weather. Calm the moving sands and whirlwinds." Pour out some oil.

And finally, turn to the North and say: "Mother Earth, calm the North winds and the
clouds, subdue the snowstorms and the cold." Pour out some oil.
Break the oil container and bury it or recycle it if it is not bio-degradable.
If this is done indoors, be sure to pour the oil onto the earth at a more convenient time.